Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Today’s Reading  |  Psalm 100  

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
   Worship the Lord with gladness;
   come into his presence with singing.
 
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.
 
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. (NRSV)

Reflection
What an apt psalm for the day before Thanksgiving. I know that many of us, as part of our Thanksgiving Day celebrations, take time to list all of the things for which we are thankful. Family, friends, food to eat, a safe, warm place—these are certainly things for which we should be thankful.

But the psalmist here does not mention any of these earthly reasons for thankfulness. Rather, the writer focuses on his (and our) relationship with God: God is good, God made us, God’s loves endures, God will be faithful through generations. Wow. The creator of the universe is concerned with us, the sheep of his pasture. And not just today, but steadfastly and through generations.

What an amazing promise that is. With all of the things that are going on in the world, good and bad, God is interested in each of us personally. God is interested in our lives, our hopes, whether we are happy or sad, whether our path is easy or difficult. This is a great assurance that we are not alone in the world. And with this great promise, it is only right that we should make a joyful noise and serve the Lord with gladness, not just once in a while or at an annual holiday, but as a way of life.

Prayer
Lord, help me to live each day with thankfulness for your presence in my life. Help me to remain thankful no matter where life takes me. Make me mindful of your love for me, and help me to extend that love to all your people, every day. Amen.

Written by Juli Crabtree, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

Devotion index by date | I’d like to receive daily devotions by email