Category: Psalms

Psalm 100: Joyful Thanksgiving

Giving thanks to God is a lifestyle choice not just a day on the calendar. Taking our cue from the psalmist, let’s learn to joyfully shout out our thanks to God.

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1 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.

2 Serve the Lord with gladness;

   Come before Him with joyful singing.

3 Know that the Lord Himself is God;

   It is He who has made us, and not ourselves;

   We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving

   And His courts with praise.

   Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

5 For the Lord is good;

   His lovingkindness is everlasting

   And His faithfulness to all generations.

Verses 1-2: Do all with joy…

This psalm opens with the three commands, but the psalmist is not just calling us to action but to have an attitude of joy before the Lord.  We are challenged to live out our faith with a joyfulness that is heard in our words and seen in our actions.

Verse 3: The Lord He is God…

Too often we live as though we are “self made” and able to decide who we are and what we do. Recognizing we are His people…the sheep of His pasture, means that we must accept Him as our shepherd and submit to His authority in our lives.

Verse 4: Enter His presence with thanksgiving…

We must be intentional to come before the Lord with a thankful heart and mind. Not only because of what He has done for us, but more importantly because of who He is…blessing His name. The Hebrew word for bless is bârak. It literally means  to kneel; the implication is to bless God is an act of adoration.

Verse 5: His lovingkindness is everlasting…

God is our standard for goodness. His lovingkindness (hesed-mercy, kindness, steadfast love) is always available for us to accept or reject. God’s faithfulness speaks of His trustworthiness, dependability for all time.

Several years ago I taught kindergarten at our church preschool. The students memorized Psalm 100 for their “graduation”. I would encourage you to memorize this psalm and let it become the pattern for you life…as you

Serve with joy…

Submit to God as creator and shepherd…

Give Him thanks; bless His name…

Praise His goodness, lovingkindness and faithfulness!

 

 

 

Is Spiritual Meditation the same as Biblical Meditation??

meditation-2-800x354Are you confused about meditation?

As I read about spiritual meditation I notice the use of the terms God and Holy Spirit in a way that sounds good and maybe even godly.   One article works the reader through a series of steps from centering self to focusing on “God” and the spirit within, to repeating a phrase, to using your imagination to “picture an inner  vision” and finally to the suggestion to buy their CD to help you benefit more.

Is this what David meant when he spoke of meditating in his heart and being still (Psalm 4:4)?

Is the spiritual meditation that is being taught today the same as biblical meditation?

I have studied biblical meditation and even taught on it some. But this past weekend I was challenged to look at biblical meditation in a different way.  Well, maybe not different, as much as simpler.  The suggestion was made to meditate on less for longer.   For example, take the two word verse–Rejoice always (1 Thess 5:16) and meditate on it for several weeks.             

How would “rejoicing always” affect my relationship with God and others?

What would my life look like if I “rejoiced always”?              

In just a few days of doing this I have had to rethink my reactions to a difficult situation.  I encourage you to join me in this challenge to meditate on “rejoice always”.  I would love to heard how this impacts your life.

Sherry