Psalm 100

1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! 5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Meditation

There are many voices crying out for our attention from the world in which we live. There are voices seeking our praise and adoration. There are voices promising us peace and prosperity. There are voices promising health and happiness. There are voices telling us what is right and what is wrong. One of the ways we can listen to God’s voice is through meditation over His word. When I run alone, I love to listen to a variety of podcasts that expose me to Scripture. My mind is challenged to see the news from a Christian perspective by Albert Mohler on “The Briefing” and I am theologically challenged and educated by “Renewing Your Mind,” from Ligonier Ministries. While running this week, on my 60th birthday, I was encouraged by meditations over Psalm 100. I was reminded of several basic truths: the Lord is God; He made us; and we are His people. This psalm spoke with God’s voice reminding me where my life is anchored.

As Christians, we are God’s special possession, ‘His people, the sheep of His pasture.’ He created us, so we belong to Him. There are many causes and movements around us that would like us to identify with them, but we belong to Jesus. We do not belong to a political movement, socioeconomic class, ethnic demographic, medical diagnosis, or generational category. He made us and we belong to Him, along with all of His other sheep. 

Because we are His sheep, Jesus is our shepherd. In John 10:10-14, Jesus says He is the ‘good shepherd’ and He gives us abundant life. He lays down His life for us and protects us and cares for us. Jesus’ sheep know His voice and listen to Him. Because of this, we (Jesus’ sheep) trust and obey Him with confidence because ‘the LORD is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.’ This voice is true in the midst of peace and prosperity, and during pandemics and lean times. Because the Lord Jesus is my shepherd, I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1) As God’s sheep we can live with joy and have hope because Jesus is our shepherd.

Because God is our shepherd and His love endures, we can make joyful noises in praise, singing and faithful testimony! We can serve Him daily with gladness in our hearts as we care for fellow Christians and the needy world around us! We can sing songs of praise, knowing He is present in our worship even if we are spending more time alone and separated from loved ones.

We have so much to be thankful for as Christians, and now is the time for us to make our thankfulness known, so that the whole world can witness our joy! God’s steadfast love endures forever! Make a joyful noise because Jesus is your shepherd!

Prayer

Lord, we adore and praise you our creator and sustainer! We know love because you first loved us and your love powerfully transforms us. We confess that we are weak and needy, and are easily led astray, with so many false voices calling out for our attention. We thank you for saving us and making us your sheep. You give us hope, hope that endures and hope that enlightens our hearts and minds. We ask for your Spirit to empower us so that we can praise you with a loud voice: to give testimony to your holiness; to proclaim your compassionate love; and to declare how great a shepherd you are.   Amen