Wednesday, September 14, 2016

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
Psalm 100 is so full of joy and love and gratitude! It immediately opens with an invitation to praise God: ”Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing.”

Thanksgiving and praise are important parts of our relationship with God and can easily be skipped over at times. So often we are feeling gloomy, tired, and weighed down by life’s challenges. Our minds are scattered, thinking about finishing the to-do list and worrying about all sorts of things. I know this is true for me. A few days ago, I was running late for work, burned a hole in my blouse while ironing, discovered that our building’s elevator was broken, and spilled my coffee on the way to the train. Was I feeling any bit of joy or gratefulness? Not so much. I was irritated, angry, and having a pity party inside my head. Once I got to work, I decided to work on this devotion and read this psalm. This text helped pull me out of the events of the morning. It made me remember the gratitude that I have for God and all that God has blessed me with. I now have this psalm written down on a piece of paper in my wallet. The next time I’m feeling sorry for myself, I’m going to pull it out as a reminder to praise God and be thankful.

God is good. God’s steadfast love endures forever, and for this, I am incredibly thankful.

Prayer
Gracious and loving God, thank you for your steadfast love and faithfulness. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, help me to remember the abundance of your grace and love. Amen.

Written by Briana Belding-Peck, Family Ministry Coordinator

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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