Psalm 100 - THE Call to Worship

Psalm 100:1-5 NIV

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 we are his;

 we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 

Enter his gates 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 generations.

Wow! I'm reading Psalm 100 today. Only 50 psalms left in the Protestant Bible. In some traditions there's an 151st. I may cover that one too just for fun.

I consider Psalm 100 to be THE call to worship. It's almost as well known as Psalm 23. Psalm 100 was something I memorized in Sunday School when I was a child. It's short, only five verses long. Yet it's imagery and poetry is moving and powerful. You can feel the excitement of the gathering worshipers.

One of the most beloved praise songs, Shout To The Lord, uses the opening verse of Psalm 100.

"Shout to the Lord all the earth let us sing! Power and majesty, praise to the King."

All the earth is called to worship God. We are to worship with glad hearts and joy filled singing. I saw a Muppets bit once called the "Happy Song" which humorously portrayed a churchman singing in depressingly low spirits. The words are joyous, but the singing... not so much. I'll bet you've been in plenty of worship services where the energy of the worshipers is anything but joyous. Sometimes entering a sanctuary feels like entering a funeral parlor.

Why sing with glad hearts and a joyful voice? Because of God's love and faithfulness. Our Creator, the God revealed through Israel and embodied in Jesus Christ, is ours and we are His. Yahweh, Yeshua, The Lord is God. Know this truth and worship Him with thanks and praise.

What are you thankful for when you think about the faithful love of the Lord in your life? As you prepare for worship today prepare your heart to sing with joy and gladness. Have your mind filled with thoughts of thanks and give God praise for His faithful love.