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| Image by Karin Henseler from Pixabay |
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the
Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is
God. It is He who made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people, the sheep
of His pasture. Enter His house with thanksgiving and His courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love
endures forever, His faithfulness continues through all the generations.”
~Psalm 100
Thanksgiving is a day set aside to be thankful, especially it seems for family, friends, and food to eat. But we have much more for which to be grateful, don't we? In the chapter above, the psalmist points out several things:
1. The Lord is God. I don't know about you, but that really takes the pressure off. The Lord is God. I don't need to be in control of the universe. He's got it well in hand, and far better than I could ever hope to. He has given me responsibility for myself, my thoughts, my words, my actions, and that is enough.
2. It is He who made us, and not we ourselves. There's a lot of turbulence out there these days, people questioning their identities, searching for answers, trying to find themselves. God knows me, He made me, He gets to define me, my identity is in Christ. If I want to know who I am, all I need to do is ask Him and search out what He says.
3. We are His people. We are the sheep of His pasture. I'm His person; He is my Shepherd! I belong!
4. The Lord is good. All of His attributes are good. He is kind. He is just. He is merciful. He is tender. He is healer. He sees, He hears, He responds. He is the "Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). He is the giver of all good gifts (James 1:17).
5. His love endures forever. He never stops loving. He is love. I may not have had a present earthly father who cared, but I have a loving Heavenly Father who thinks I'm to die for! If God had a wallet, my picture would be in it.
6. His faithfulness continues through all the generations. God never fails. He always keeps His promises. I can safely put my trust in Him, as well as my hope for my children's salvation. "But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear Him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to His covenant, of those who obey His commandments!" (Psalm 103:17-18)
Yes, as we head into Thanksgiving and into the upcoming federal election, we have much to be thankful for. God is for us - hallelujah!
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You can find out more about Susan Barclay's writing at www.susan-barclay.blogspot.com
Thank you for this reflection, Susan. It was timely and inspiring. I, too, am so glad that HE is Lord, and like you, that takes a lot of pressure off! God bless.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you as well, Tracy, as we praise Him together for His sovereignty!
DeleteOh my, so many things to rejoice and be thankful about! A lovely reflection, Susan, and perfect timing as we celebrate Thanksgiving soon.
ReplyDeleteLove this line: "I have a loving Heavenly Father who thinks I'm to die for!"
Thank you, Brenda :)
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ReplyDeleteWe as children of God pray for our children and our children’s children and so on. I remember hearing an old adage that God doesn’t have any grandchildren. By saying that, I guess the person speaking was talking about that we each need to receive Christ as our Lord and Saviour. I am thankful, however, that God does make provision for the generations that follow after us.
ReplyDeleteThank you for pointing out, Psalm 103:17-18. "But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear Him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to His covenant, of those who obey His commandments!" (Psalm 103:17-18)
You also point out, Psalm 100:5: “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” May we praise God with our hearts, our minds, our voices, and our written words. Amen.