Read
(A psalm of praise.)
The Lord Is God
1Shout praises to the Lord,
everyone on this earth.
2Be joyful and sing
as you come in
to worship the Lord!
3You know the Lord is God!
He created us,
and we belong to him;
we are his people,
the sheep in his pasture.
4Be thankful and praise the Lord
as you enter his temple.
5 The Lord is good!
His love and faithfulness
will last forever.
Reflect
When we feel the strangling grip of this demanding and busy world on our lives, it is good to pause and remember that we are not on our own and we do not belong to this world. We have a home in the heart of God who is good and faithful.
That thought alone should bring a sigh of relief to any tired pilgrim. Although we live in this world and engage it every day, we never have to feel that it owns us.
The Psalmist declares that the Lord created us and that we belong to him. But that’s not all. He goes further and creates a beautiful picture to help us grasp what it means to belong to God. He says, “We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”
Take a moment and let your thoughts sink into this image. What do you see?
The Lord is your good shepherd. He is attentive to your needs at every moment. Nothing about your life escapes him. He hears you calling and he knows how to help.
There’s more. Psalm 100 insists that this important information is to be known by everyone on earth. It answers the great and repeated question about human origin. And it is cause for great rejoicing because God who made us all is good and he never changes. The New International Version says it this way: “…the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
Don’t hesitate to let people around you see your appreciation of the Lord. For some, it may be the first indication that there is a God and Creator. And as we praise and worship him, may others be drawn to him and praise him as he deserves!
Respond
Dear Lord, Creator and Maker of us all, may you be praised by people around the world for your enduring love, goodness and faithfulness. Help me today to remember what it means to live in your care and show me how to share this with someone else. In the name of Jesus, my faithful shepherd. Amen.
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Jacqueline Dugas
Jacqueline Dugas is Vice President and Director of Ministries at Every Home for Christ International/Canada (EHC), where she has served on the executive leadership team for more than two decades. Her ministry work involves speaking and writing for a trans-denominational and international audience on the broad topic of knowing God and making Jesus known everywhere. Jacqueline has authored 7 Days with Jesus, written as a follow up resource for Finding the Hope, EHC’s evangelism outreach in Canada and abroad. She has co-authored the widely used evangelism booklet, Finding the Hope, and the Finding the Hope Personal Kit, both published in multiple languages. She is co-producer of EHC’s monthly publication, Harvest Partner.