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! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
Psalm 100
One of God’s purposes for setting apart a people for himself is that he might be glorified. This glory comes in part from the testimony of the ‘sheep’ who glorify God as their creator, provider and protector. As the sheep of God’s pasture today, believers know the privilege which is expressed throughout Psalm 100 of intimate relationship with God leading to joyful, thanksgiving worship. You – ‘a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness…’ are witnesses so that the world ‘may see your good deeds and glorify God’. (1 Peter 2:9,12)
Jesus Christ is our Great Shepherd, and is worthy of praise for who he is and for all that he provides to us. This is why we joyfully come and remember him each Sunday. As you enjoy the exuberant invitation of Psalm 100, titled “A psalm to give thanks”, remember that seeing yourself as a sheep under the care of the shepherd should lead to God-glorifying adoration that reaches him and witnesses to the world around us.
