Monday Reflection – August 31, 2020 Make a Joyful Shout!

Monday Reflection – August 31, 2020
Make a Joyful Shout!

Know that the Lord is God.  It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3

Today’s Psalm is yet another well-known and beloved one. I recall repeating this Psalm regularly in Sunday School and Primary School. Psalm 100 is simply titled, ‘A Psalm of Thanksgiving’ and it is the only Psalm in the collection to bear this title. It speaks of an invitation to the whole earth to know and to worship God. For G. Campbell Morgan, Psalm 100 is jubilant with confidence for the whole earth, as it contemplates the glory of that earth, when all its people are submitted to the reign of Jehovah.

The Psalmist begins by summoning all people from everywhere to make a joyful shout to the Lord; to serve God with gladness; and to come before his presence with singing. Unlike previous Psalms, Psalm 100 does not begin with a declaration of God’s sovereignty or character. Rather, it begins with the simple and direct exhortation to all to praise God. Nations beyond Israel’s borders should give a joyful shout. The nations must recognize who the Lord is. He is Yahweh, by whose grace and blessings his people exist. All should join in singing in God’s presence.

David does not just summon the whole earth to praise God, but provides the reason. God is our Creator and Shepherd. So he says in today’s Watchword, “Know that the Lord is God.  It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” The praise offered to God from his people and all lands should be mindful. We have many reasons to worship Yahweh, and those reasons begin with the recognition that he is God. Our praise should be grounded in our recognition of who God is; such knowledge ought to be a pre-requisite of our praise. We must know and be convinced of who God is.

The next reason to worship God is because he has made us; he is to be recognized for his work as Creator. The idea that we could make ourselves is absurd, and we should worship the one who has made us. This implies that God has every right over us, thus we should willingly give him his due. On another level, believers have a second and greater reason for praise for we are new creatures in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Yet another reason to worship God is because we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. God has chosen us to be his people and he cares for us as the sheep of his pasture. Though wayward we often are, God treats us as his own, his beloved. Our Great Shepherd paid the ultimate sacrifice by rescuing and redeeming us through the blood of Jesus Christ. We are priviledged not just to be created by God, but to be called his own. These are sufficient reasons to raise a song of praise and make a joyful shout. Hallelujah!!!

Jermaine Gibson