Reflection on Psalm 100
Recently, Psalm 100 has been on my mind. The words have been a balm to my soul that I meditated on day and night for weeks. Let’s spend a few moments meditating on this short but powerful Psalm. I pray that you experience more of God’s presence and that praise for who He is wells up inside of you, as it has for me.
Praise God
On your feet now—applaud God!
Psalm 100:3 (MSG)
Bring a gift of laughter,
sing yourselves into his presence.
There’s a lot to be heartbroken about right now. It’s easy to get caught up in the tragedy around us. Personally, this month hasn’t gone how I thought it would. I had dreams and ideas of what would happen, and none of it turned out as I had imagined. This personal disappointment is piled on top of national and worldwide events that are utterly heartbreaking.
Even with that ache in our souls, we can praise God. We can clap and sing and dance in God’s presence because He is good. He has done and is doing great and wonderful things. God is our constant companion, our Savior, and our friend. He spoke the world into existence, creating its rich beauty. He also saved us, calling us friend and heir. There’s much to mourn in our world, but there’s also much to praise God for—let’s not forget one or the other.
God Cares
Know this: God is God, and God, God.
Psalm 100:3 (MSG)
He made us; we didn’t make him.
We’re his people, his well-tended sheep.
That last line of this verse from Psalm 100 gets me every time. I can become so caught up in everything I lack that I forget how God intentionally cares for me. I might not have everything I want or think I need, but I am still deeply cared for by my Shepherd.
We aren’t poorly-cared-for sheep, but those that God delights in caring for. God makes sure we are fed and have water to drink. He protects us from predators and brings us back when we wander off. Of course, we have very real needs—financial provision, physical healing, and relational restoration—but those don’t negate the fact that we are God’s well-tended sheep. He cares for us deeply, even in that place of lack. It’s a mystery that I do not fully understand, but because of God’s character, I choose to trust that because I am His, He is taking care of all my needs.
Related Post: Life is Hard, But God is Still Good
A Heart of Worship
Enter with the password: “Thank you!”
Psalm 100:4 (MSG)
Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
Thank him. Worship him.
Because I can get so caught up in everything I don’t have, I can forget to be grateful for what I do have. I can get so focused on the negative that I forget the positive. But this verse is an invitation to reorient our focus.
Because He is God and He is good, we can constantly give thanks. God made us intentionally and continues to care and provide for us, which is yet another reason to praise Him. No matter the circumstances, we still have an opportunity to thank God and worship Him for who He is.
God is Love
For God is sheer beauty,
Psalm 100:5 (MSG)
all-generous in love,
loyal always and ever.
This verse has really stood out to me over the past few weeks. When I become hyper-focused on the negatives, I know I need to return to the truth of God’s character. Let’s take this last verse one line at a time.
I love that description of God as sheer beauty—what a wonderful way to describe Him! God is more beautiful than the most gorgeous sunset, the most peaceful beach, and the most lush mountainside. His voice is more pleasing than a bird’s song, the wind’s whisper, or rain falling. He is indescribable beauty and also the very definition of love. God isn’t just loving, but He is love.
God is beyond generous in his love for you and me. We can see His love displayed in Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. We can experience His love through the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit, our constant companion. The beauty of creation all around us, the gift of the Bible, and the relationships with God’s people are reminders of God’s generous love for us.
God’s consistency is one of the aspects of his character that I am most grateful for. He has chosen us to be His people, His sheep, and He’s not going to change His mind. Praise God for that! He won’t rescind His promises or turn His back on us. God’s beautiful and generous love endures forever. His affection for us is deeper and lasts longer than I think any of us can fathom.
God has chosen us to be His people, His sheep, and He's not going to change His mind. Click To TweetPsalm 100 is a Balm for the Soul
For the past few weeks, Psalm 100 has been like a balm for my soul. I have been meditating on it day and night, reminding myself to give thanks in all circumstances and to be in awe of the Shepherd who cares intentionally for me. Praise has bubbled up within me as I reflect on God’s beauty, love, and loyalty. Our God is so great and greatly to be praised.
I pray that you find comfort in God’s presence today. That no matter what you are facing, you are able to reflect on His beauty, love, and faithfulness to you. And that His provision and care for you would be evident in every circumstance. I pray that as you encounter more and more of God, praise and thanksgiving would pour from you and draw you closer to our great God.
