Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into His presence with singing!
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.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving,
And His courts with praise!
For the LORD is good;
His steadfast love endures forever,
And His faithfulness to all generations.
(Psalm 100)
Can I get an “AMEN?” I love the Psalms! But I especially love this one. Every line in this song is joyful! There is praise and promise of God’s goodness throughout! Yay, God! Indeed, our God is good, and we have reason to give Him thanks and praise!
But what about when bad things are happening all around us? How can I be thankful amid all this calamity, violence, natural disasters and terrorism happening on every continent? Some of what we have seen on T.V. lately is unbelievable, shocking and downright scary. My instinct is to run and hide, stick my head in the sand and pretend it isn’t real. But thank goodness, I don’t live by my instincts alone. Like it or not, bad stuff happens every day. So how do we live with gratitude in all of this?
Recently, after three hurricanes and two earthquakes and a multitude of fires destroyed the land and claimed hundreds of souls all within a few weeks, I asked myself, “What is going on, Lord?” It stopped me in my tracks. There was so much tragedy in such a short space of time, it reminded me of how I felt on 9/11…grieving for all the souls who died in one day. It still makes me shudder at the thought.
But one morning I woke up with Psalm 100 on my mind. I wondered why, so I took it to prayer. I read it a few times. I spoke it aloud a few times. I meditated on it for a while and then it hit me. I believe the Lord gave me this Psalm at this time to remind me that no matter what is happening on the earth, He is over it all. He has it all in His hands. He is in every circumstance and with every soul, through it all. He is sovereign over heaven and earth and nothing is beyond His reach. Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds me that “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Psalm 100 is a call to FAITH in action…that no matter what happens, I can serve the LORD with gladness, give Him praise and thanksgiving, and continue to LIVE…in His presence…knowing that He is our Creator God, the All Powerful, All Sufficient One. He’s saying, “My child, let this sink into your heart. You are mine. Remember always that I am good. Keep your eyes razor focused on me, and do not fear the things of this earth. Trust that I’ve got this. Know that my love is steadfast and it never shakes. My love is not unstable and it endures forever. This is who I AM! Nothing can separate you from my love. This love is faithful to my own, in every generation of man, no matter where you are, no matter what time or age, no matter the circumstances on earth!”
And now I say “AMEN!”