Psalm 100 – Emmanuel Pentecostal Church Gateshead Resources

MONDAY 29th

Psalm 100

I have chosen Psalm 100 as our reading today because it is the only chapter 100 in Scripture. Secondly to tie in with the number 100, for today’s devotion is number 100!

It feels like we have been in a cricket match and it is one hundred, not out!

Who would have thought that when I sent out the first devotion on Sunday March 22nd that I would still be doing it 100 days later? I certainly did not expect it, I thought maybe for three weeks, four at the most.

But God has been faithful, and during this period of lockdown we can still ‘Make a joyful noise to the Lord . . . for the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.’

Thank you to all for your encouragement during this period.

Over the period of the devotions I have made many references to sheep and this short psalm reminds us that ‘we are his people and the sheep of his pasture’.

Over the period of lockdown we have been like scattered sheep, unable to come into the Church as a gathered flock, isolated in our homes and yet we have been able to remain in contact through all the various means available. We pray that very soon we will be able to flock together again for corporate worship, prayer, ministry and in the breaking of bread.

One of the greatest assets that a shepherd has is that of his faithful friend, the sheepdog. Often when the sheep are scattered especially in areas of moorland where it is difficult for the shepherd to traverse, the sheepdog becomes an essential companion, he can go to the parts the shepherd can’t reach and help in rounding the sheep up together so that the shepherd can deal with anything that needs doing.

As we have been like scattered sheep, it has not been possible to visit, but I pray that these devotions along with the phone calls, messages, videos etc. that we have all been involved in will have been like the sheep dog, drawing us together and keeping us together in the spiritual bond of unity through this difficult time.

But most of all we give thanks to The Shepherd, who has been watching over us, the one who has helped us to keep it together when at times things may have felt tough and difficult.

It will pass, we will eventually (hopefully soon) be able to gather again, and when that moment comes may we ‘enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise’.

Thank you again for your prayers and support toward me as pastor, but also toward each other, may we come out of this crisis with a renewed confidence and trust in the Lord, ready for him to do new and great things amongst us.

Faithful God, faithful God,

All-sufficient one, I worship you.

Shalom my peace,

My strong deliverer,

I lift you up,

Faithful God.

Chris Bowater CCLI788682

Lord, I come before your throne of grace,

I find rest in your presence

And fulness of joy.

In worship and wonder

I behold your face,

Singing what a faithful God have I.

What a faithful God have I,

What a faithful God.

What a faithful God have I,

Faithful in every way.

Lord of mercy, you have heard my cry;

Through the storm you’re the beacon,

My song in the night.

In the shelter of your wings,

Hear my heart’s reply,

Singing what a faithful God have I.

Lord all sovereign, granting peace from heaven,

Let me comfort those who suffer

With the comfort you have given.

I will tell of Your great love for as long as I live,

Singing what a faithful God have I.

^CCLI788682

THURSDAY 23^rd

Psalm 100

There are some Psalms that perhaps we can recall being used more frequently than others in Sunday morning worship services, and for me, when I hear particular Psalms, my mind immediately remembers individuals who I can recall who used to regularly read them or they take me back to a particular time – they were the favourites. Psalm 8 immediately reminds me of a lovely lady called Sonia that worshipped in the Church in Wrexham. Psalm 103 reminds me of an elderly man who used to make us smile as youngsters because he always used to say Psalm one ought three instead of one hundred and three.

This Psalm for today, Psalm 100, takes me back to my childhood Church in Madley, a little village in Herefordshire, the same place as Mr one ought three attended. I can remember verse 2 being displayed on the wall as a motto, ‘Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!’

This Psalm like many other Psalms, calls us to ‘come and to worship the Lord’.

Come with a joyful noise – that means that not all noise is joyful!

Come with singing, there is something powerful about song, and I believe that there is something especially powerful about congregational singing.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, we of all people should be a thankful people when we think of what God has done for us.

Enter his courts with praise, his praise should always be on our lips.

It gives to us the core for a worship service. Joyful noise, singing, thanksgiving, praise and blessing. But it also says serve the LORD with gladness, everything we do in the service of the Church should be done unto the Lord with gladness and in verse 3, ‘Know that the LORD, He is God!’ We come together in worship to KNOW the Lord, I believe worship should draw us closer to the Lord, and also expand our understanding of who he is and of what he has done and is doing and yet will do for us. Worship should excite us, but it should also ignite us, because the more we worship in spirit and in truth, the greater should be our awareness of God in our lives and the stronger our desire should be to get to know him more.

Returning to verse three, it also says. ‘It is he who has made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.’

When we come to worship, we are coming to bow down before the great Creator. He not only deserves our worship, but he has the right to demand it! He has made us, we are his, this reminds me of 1 Corinthians 6:20 ‘For you were bought with a price, so glorify God in your body.’

We don’t belong to ourselves; we belong to God we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. There is a personal challenge to each of us here, as to glorifying God, in that we need to be careful that we don’t dishonour God through our actions, in the things which we do and the things we say each day.

Psalm 95:6-7 says, ‘Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.’

Then the final verse (100:5) reminds us ‘For the LORD is good, his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.’

This is why we worship, why we praise, why we bring joyful noise / songs, and serve with gladness because the LORD who has made us is a GOOD God, he loves us with enduring love and he is faithful to all generations – as he was faithful 4000 years ago, 3000 years ago, 2000 years ago, 1000 years ago so he still is today and will be in 1000 years, 2000, 3000, 4000 . . . . Lamentations 3:22-23 ‘The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.’

Why should we make, serve, come, know, enter and give – for many thousand reasons but in particular because of Gods steadfast love and faithfulness.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father

There is no shadow of turning with Thee

Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not

As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be

Great is Thy faithfulness

Morning by morning, new mercies I see

All I have needed Thy hands hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest

Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth

Thine own great presence to cheer and to guide

Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside

^{Thomas Chisholm CCLI 788682}