If you joined us yesterday for worship, you may recall that we spent time in Psalm 23 and John 10. We were reminded by David, in Psalm 23, that the Lord is our shepherd and that His goodness and unfailing love will never stop pursing us because it is gravely important to God that we ultimately reside in His House for all eternity.
Then Jesus, in John 10, uses a parable about how He is the Good Shepherd, and we are His sheep. At the end of John 9, Jesus was debating with those who objected to Him giving sight to a man who was born blind. Jesus is still speaking to those criticizers, but they tell Jesus that they do not understand what He is saying. “So, He explained it to them: ‘I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.’ Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through Me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (John 10:7, 9-10)
Today’s Psalm is “A Psalm of Thanksgiving”, and it invites all of the earth to shout with joy to the Lord. Remember, Pastor Mary helped us yesterday to understand that the enemy will do anything to steal our joy. But, handing over our joy is a chose we have, because Jesus lives within us, and He is our joy. So, even though the enemy is always around, he has no power to take our joy, unless we give it to him, because Jesus, Who is divine and holy power, resides in you and me.
Psalm 100 is meant to encourage us to acknowledge God and His vast power that created us. It is directly connected to Psalm 23 and John 10, because we are God’s people, the sheep of the Good Shepherd’s pasture. As His sheep, you and I must enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with joyous praise because His love will never fail and will continue for all eternity.
Psalm 100 (NLT)
A psalm of thanksgiving.
1 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being our Good Shepherd. Help us to hold firmly onto our joy. We do not want to hand anything that is of You over to the enemy. Thank You for being our gate, the One Who welcomes us into our eternal Home. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.