Reflection:

Sometimes it’s hard to utter words of thanks and praise and make a joyful noise to the Lord. I have been through seasons of bleakness when the words just weren’t there. Somewhat surprisingly, I have found that even when times are good, I forget what words to use.

Psalm 100 provides us with a scaffold. Here are thoughts to fill our minds and words to shape our praise.

‘Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.’ (v 3)

Our God is not a distant Creator who made us and then abandoned us to our own devices.  He actively participates in our lives. He is our shepherd. We live under his loving care, guidance and protection. In our Lord Jesus Christ, we have a good shepherd who knows us and lays down his life for us (John 10:14-15).

And the psalmist says more of what God is like:

‘For the Lord is good and his love endures forever.

His faithfulness continues through all generations.’ (v 5)

God is always good. He keeps on loving, no matter how foolish or flawed we are. His faithfulness towards us never stops. Goodness, love, faithfulness — all seen so clearly in the work of Jesus to bring us new life.

When we struggle to praise God, words like those found in Psalm 100 can help. We are reminded of what God is like. We are given direction for those attributes of God worthy of praise that we long to find echoed by our own voice.

It has taken me a while to realise that praise is not about me or my feelings. It’s about our ever-loving, never-changing God. These truths never falter. They are the same for me when life is filled to the brim with good stuff as in the times when I find myself in a darker place.

When we have no words ourselves, here are words. Words, that as we reflect upon them, fill our minds and warm our hearts. And then we may find that we can shout for joy to the Lord, that we can worship with gladness, and come before him with joyful songs.

Prayer:

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100 – Chris Tomlin

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