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100 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who 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.
(ESV)
I find it ironic that during the holiday season many secular artists will release Christmas albums. I was just in a store the other day when I heard a very popular artist come on the radio singing “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” This particular artist is blatantly opposed to Christianity, and yet, she was singing a worship song about the Messiah Jesus Christ. More than likely, the album was only produced to make money, however, it’s no coincidence that all the earth (even unbelievers) will lift their voice to the King.
A psalm of thanksgiving. Shout triumphantly to the LORD, all the earth.
Psalms 100:1 HCSB
Keeping with the holiday theme, we celebrate Thanksgiving once per year. Before digging into the meal, families will gather around the table while each person shares something to be thankful for. In the life of a Christ-follower, this is every day. If we could truly enter into the spirit of Psalm 100, we would never cease to praise the King. The reason is clear. We are His.
Acknowledge that Yahweh is God. He made us, and we are His — His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Psalms 100:3 HCSB
We are not only His creation but His people. We are the sheep of His pasture, the redeemed sons and daughters of King Jesus. Going even further, we are His, not by our own choosing or any work of our own. We are His because Jesus willingly gave Himself up for us. God owns us, therefore, we are His flock – His prized possession.
Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning. 18 By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures.
James 1:17-18 HCSB
Because of this amazing gift, we enter enthusiastically into His gates with praise on our lips!