“A problem with familiarity”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Wednesday, March 29, 2022
Psalm 100 (Forward, p. 59) CEV p. 616
The Jubilate, Psalm 100, is so familiar and so widely used, that it was almost with a groan that I greeted it this morning. “What in the world could I get out a psalm that was just so familiar and just so routine? Was there anything, I wondered, that God could say to me out of these all too familiar words?”
I must say that this trepidation, this suspension of belief, was not made any better, no, not one wit, when I sat down to actually read its words. But then, I remembered the advice of Biblical commentators that the psalms are poems, poems that are meant to be read out loud—and often sung to music! So, I tried saying this psalm out loud, even singing it, and it came alive.
Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song.
These first verses speak of how we should approach God, particularly with how we should worship Him. We should rejoice in Him and come before Him with gladness, that is, with a song in our hearts.
Know this: The Lord himself is God; he himself has made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
Here we have something of the grounds for why we should praise Him and rejoice in Him. He is not only the God of the entire earth, but also our God and our Creator. And it isn’t as if He has made us and then just left us to fend for ourselves, like some distant and uninvolved clockmaker (who just winds up his clocks and then leaves them to run on their own). No, He is vitally involved, and interested, in every aspect of our lives, even to our everyday affairs. Like a shepherd, He watches over us and cares for us.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise; give thanks to him and call upon his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his faithfulness endures from age to age.
Here we come back to our worship, and our psalmist gets specific. Our worship should include thanksgiving, praise and prayer. And why? Because of who God is and what His character is like: He is good and merciful and faithful and in these things He never changes one wit. He remains good and merciful and faithful throughout the ages and no matter happens to us or to our world.
What this seems to say to me is that all our lives should reflect this appreciation for who God is and what He is to us. So, rather than being ho-hum and overly familiar, this thanksgiving and praise should permeate everything that we do and say and think, and not just when we are in church. Amen.
Forward notes: “Be joyful in the LORD, all you lands; serve the LORD with gladness and come before his presence with a song” (verse 1).
“When my favourite soccer team wins, I am happy. When the rain subsides and the sun shines on the day of the picnic, I am happy. Happiness feels like something external. Soccer wins, picnics, puppies, and baby goats make me happy. I am happy about them.
“Joy comes from within; it is a state of being. Joy is faith that there is meaning in this life we are living. Joy is faith that God’s love endures from age to age, regardless of the outcome of any event.
“The psalmist instructs us to be joyful in the Lord and to serve with gladness. Joy, then, must lead to action. We are God’s hands on earth. In the knowledge and faith that our Creator cares for us like a good shepherd and abides with us, we carry the message of God’s love to the world. We are grounded in the promise of God’s presence and love for us and all people we encounter.
“Our joy can be the world’s joy because it comes from God.”
MOVING FORWARD: “What makes you happy? What brings you joy? Give thanks today for both.”