Focus

Pay attention to the tension in your body. Let go of it and any expectations to do anything other than God’s will today. Prepare yourself to hear God’s word.

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Read

Psalm 100 (NRSV)

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.

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Reflect

This psalm is one of pure joy and thanksgiving. In fact, it is named “A Psalm of Thanksgiving.” The author displays an exuberance we rarely experience in our often quiet and reserved worship experiences. There’s so much to take in within these five short verses.

We all worship in our own unique ways, finding the connection we need to feel as if we are in the presence of God. One of my greatest influences was my grandmother. I would spend a couple of weeks at a time with my grandparents over the summer. Every night, after everyone else had gone to bed, my grandmother would sit at the dining room table with her Bible. She sat there in the silence, reading the scripture and writing down a prayer for someone she knew. It was very calming to me as a child to see the glow of her lamp burning in the night. She didn’t have an easy life. Like many people of her era, she raised a family through the Great Depression and saw family members go off to serve in World War II. She weathered her personal storms and came through them all with thanksgiving and joy. She had much about which to be bitter, but she clung to God’s promise of hope and rest.

Her connection to God was through her nightly communing and her thankful attitude. I can only attempt to follow her example. I do realize this: The Lord is good and remains faithful to all generations.

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Pray

Lord, we praise your greatness and thank you for your guidance through a tricky world. Allow us to sing with gladness and worship you in a way that pleases you. We acknowledge those in our lives who have been our inspirations and we ask that you bless them and keep them in your presence forever. We are thankful for all the blessings you have given us. Amen.

Go with God.