Hi, Friend!

I hope today’s post finds you well!

Today finds me a bit tired. I’ve been fighting off a flu-type physical illness for the past couple of weeks that’s left me a little run down (probably because I refuse to stop and just be sick). I’ve also experienced some tough workouts lately in a couple areas of faith that, while I am persuaded are ultimately for my good, have left my mind and emotions in need of some recovery days.

Recognizing this need, I instantly thought of Psalm 100.

Why?

For starters, the kiddos in my church’s musical program (that I direct) are learning this psalm as part of our spring presentation, “Psalms of Endless Praise”, and I can’t read it now without hearing the vibrant chorus of their 19 cheerful voices reciting it in my head.

Secondly, Psalm 100 is a balm for any battle weary soul because it takes our minds off of our worries and wonderings, shifts our focus away from our tests and our trials and places it squarely on God’s faithful love.

Take a few moments to read Psalm 100 below in the CSB version or in your own Bible or preferred version.

A psalm of thanksgiving.

1 Let the whole earth shout triumphantly to the Lord!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God.
He made us, and we are his—
his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
5 For the Lord is good, and his faithful love endures forever;
his faithfulness, through all generations.

Oh friend, I wish you could hear the jubilant cadence my church musical kiddos use to recite verse one! The first time I presented the psalm to them, I asked what the exclamation mark at the end of the line meant (remember, former English teacher here, can’t help myself) and one of my lil guys, only 5 years old, proclaims, “It means strong emotion!”. So, we began to practice verse one with strong emotion and now my kiddos loudly emphasize the capitalized words below:

Let the WHOLE earth SHOUT tri-UMPH-antly to the LORD!

and about half of them make a fist pump upward as they finish the line and my heart just soars at their celebration of the Lord.

Over the past few weeks of physical illness and spiritual growing/testing, I’m pretty sure I’ve done more “crying out” to the Lord than “shouting triumphantly”, but mentally replaying my kiddos’ recitation of Psalm 100 this afternoon, I am reminded that, whatever my condition or circumstance, God is always worthy of receiving my triumphant shout.

In fact, not only is He worthy, but God goes with me through life’s ups and downs and ensures that I am able to raise a triumphant shout to Him!

Deuteronomy 20:4 reminds me, “the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

In Christ is my victory!

1 Corinthians 15:57 declares, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”

God has given me a place in Christ’s triumphal procession!

2 Corinthians 2:14 proclaims, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place.”

And Believer, through Jesus Christ, God ensures you are able to give a triumphant shout to Him too!

Christ secures your victory too!

God will lead you in Christ’s triumphal procession too!

I can’t wait to talk more with you about Psalm 100 tomorrow. For today, let’s just meditate on verse 1 and celebrate the fact that God secures our victory in Christ Jesus!

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