We don’t to sport a face that makes people think the pastor baptized us in lemon juice when we seek the Lord.
Here’s a question: could the “normal” way of seeking the Lord for those who love Him be with thanksgiving, joy, and gladness?
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Ps. 105:3, ESV
Only to sit and think of God,
Oh, what joy it is!
To think the thought, to breathe the Name,
Earth has no higher bliss!
F.W. Faber
What if Psalm 100 were the basis of our relationship with God instead of the sourpuss attitudes we often live with?
Read Psalm 100 song and pay attention to the verbs that power us into God’s presence as we pray it:
“Make, serve, know, come, enter, give.”
Make a joyful noise to the Lord? If there’s one thing mamas don’t want their kids doing in church, it’s making noise! Here we’re commanded to make a joyful noise to the Lord as we go into His presence.
I suspect God likes it. Have you ever walked by a sports stadium when noise thunders to the skies and the stadium shakes? The home team scored!
Hey, the home team scored! Let’s celebrate! God is God. He made us and takes care of us. He’s good. His love and faithfulness never quit! (100:3, 5) His goodness and mercy pursue us like a couple of baying hounds nipping at the heels of their prey (Psalm 23:6).
Makes you want to make some cheerful noises when you realize that.
Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into His presence with singing. (100:2) If one word could describe your relationship with God, what would it be? “Plodder? Smiler? Rejoicer? Dutiful? Or…?”
Lord, forgive me that gladness hasn’t always characterized me. I’m more of a plodder, a ‘do-my-duty’-er.
Sing, David, sing!
God is a singing God who loves beautiful melodies and happy hearts singing and expressing joy. And why not, sadness?
Three Things We Need To Know (100:3)
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. (100:3, ESV)
The Lord is God, not you, not me, not the government. The enemy isn’t God. God is God. He’s the Source of our existence, the Eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present God. He is love, hope and so much more. I’m not God, but the One Who is, is on my side. He’s for me.
We are His, not our own. We don’t exist of ourselves. Humanism tries to take back ownership from God. It’s an old lie. Underlying its claims is the idea that we know what makes us happy and fulfilled better than our Maker. We scream for our rights. I’m not my own. My body belongs to God, along with my soul and spirit. That’s not slavery. That’s a committed relationship. Not only am I 100% His, He is 100% mine.
If I rebel, I don’t have the same relationship with Him. I’m a rebel instead of a son.
We’re His people. The sheep of his pasture. Those who don’t hang around sheep, are probably saying, “Ooooh, how sweet.” Yeah… Is there anything dumber or more helpless than a sheep? Smelly, good to eat and good for wool. That’s about it. That makes one of them a tiny bit more valuable than a chicken, huh?
But a good shepherd has a committed relationship with these sheep. They are incapable, but he is more than capable. He takes care of them. Be thankful. This universe is a tough place. We’re about as capable of taking care of ourselves and providing for ourselves as a sheep. Yet God looks after us and helps us.
Come into His presence thanking, praising and blessing His name. Eugene Peterson puts it like this:
“Enter with the password: ‘Thank you!’
“Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
“Thank him. Worship him.”
(Ps. 100:4, The Message)
Why are we thanking and praising Him?
God is good. He saved me and gave me a wonderful family. Health has been His gift to me as well.
God loves me and cares about me. My life is important to Him. He loved me before I was born and He will love me forever.
God has always been faithful to me. He’s done what He said He would do and never let me down. He is faithful. Faithful and True is His name!
And there is a reward for seeking the Lord like this: “So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing. And he gave them the lands of the nations…” (Ps. 105:43, 44 ESV)
Claim the inheritance that God has given His people. Seek Him with joy. Obey Him and see His mighty hand in action for you.
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Hmmm …
What the wicked dread will overtake him: what the righteous desire will be granted. Proverbs 10:22
Are you a “dread-er” or are a “desire-er?” God I don’t want to dread, I want to desire. When dread is larger than desire we are paralyzed and don’t move towards desire. We stop and what we’re afraid of catches up to us to devour us. When we move towards godly desire, dread can’t catch us.