In The Word
Read: Psalms 99-100
Praise to the Lord for His Fidelity to Israel.
99 The Lord reigns, let the peoples tremble;
He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake!
2 The Lord is great in Zion,
And He is exalted above all the peoples.
3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name;
Holy is He.
4 The strength of the King loves justice;
You have established equity;
You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Exalt the Lord our God
And worship at His footstool;
Holy is He.
6 Moses and Aaron were among His priests,
And Samuel was among those who called on His name;
They called upon the Lord and He answered them.
7 He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud;
They kept His testimonies
And the statute that He gave them.
8 O Lord our God, You answered them;
You were a forgiving God to them,
And yet an avenger of their evil deeds.
9 Exalt the Lord our God
And worship at His holy hill,
For holy is the Lord our God.
All Men Exhorted to Praise God.
A Psalm for Thanksgiving.
100 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
3 Know that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
These psalms are very interesting because they show different sides of the Father. We see the greatness and majesty of God, but also the compassion and adoration He gives. Words such as “reigns,” “enthroned,” “exalted,” and “strength” are all used to describe Him. These words speak to how big and powerful He is. So many times, we believers only experience that part of God. We are taught to fear and revere Him as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. While that is absolutely a necessary part of knowing Him for who He is, He is so much more than that.
Today’s scriptures also speak to the loving, loyal, and forgiving nature of God. He is a God that not only listens to your needs, but is also willing to meet them. Psalm 99:6b states, “They called upon the Lord and He answered them.” Later, verse 8 states, “O Lord our God, You answered them; You were a forgiving God to them And yet an avenger of their evil deeds.” God sees your sin and has made a way for you to be cleansed of it through repentance. If that is not a good enough reason to praise God, then I don’t know what is!
As followers of Christ, we must be encouraged to learn more about the different aspects of God. When we seek to experience Him in more than just a one-dimensional way, we can truly rejoice in who He is, just as the psalmist did. We will then know what it means to “serve the Lord with gladness” and “come before Him with joyful singing” (Psalm 100:2).