Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the LORD is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.
Psalm 100, NKJV
It occurs to me that this Psalm is addressed to everyone, everywhere. "All you lands", it says. That's who should be shouting the praises of God, even if they don't. That's also who should be serving Him with gladness and coming into His presence with singing. Everyone, everywhere. No exceptions.
From the very beginning, when God made Adam from the mud and Eve from Adam's rib, He has wanted a relationship with His creation. He desired friendship and fellowship, two things Adam was designed for. He also desired worship, still another of Adam's many purposes. And if you wonder why God wanted worship, or why you should praise Him, just think about this: He made you too. In that scoop of mud were all the sons and daughters of man made. In that one man, the seeds of all human life were placed; into the womb of his wife were those seeds sown. In that one man, God started us all. And it was for fellowship and worship.
He walked with Adam and Even in the garden in the cool of the day, when the mist was rising around them. After they were expelled from Eden, he still sought to have fellowship with them. At the entrance to Eden he placed to cherubim as guardians for the good of humanity, and there he would meet with them. That's where Cain and Abel brought their sacrifices for worship. They came before God with their offerings, though only one was acceptable because it followed a proscribed method. There they met with Him; there they walked with Him and talked with Him. Even in the midst of Cain's sin, God came and spoke to Him, still desiring fellowship.
I suppose it would be wonderful indeed if everyone everywhere simply recognized their need for God and the necessity of serving Him with gladness. Not through compulsion or coercion, but by choice. Not with a sullen heart and sour expression, but with a smile on your face and a dance in your step. Serve the Lord with gladness, it says! And why should we be glad? Why should we be thankful? If the fact that He made you and wants to spend time with you isn't reason enough for thanks, I don't know what is.
Today, I'm thankful for the presence of God that meets with us every time we gather in His name; that was a promise fulfilled today when we gathered for worship.
I'm thankful for the power of God that is at work in us, changing, transforming, renewing; because of His power, I'm a different man than I used to be, or than I could have been had I not found Jesus at an early age.
I'm thankful for the word of God that speaks to our hearts, addresses our situations, and challenges our lives; without the Word we'd be as lost as the proverbial ball in high weeds. But now we have His Word, His direction, His comfort, His knowledge, His peace, His nourishment. Need I go on?
What are you thankful for today?
No comments:
Post a Comment