I am blessed to be part of a family who has followed the Lord for many generations. Being the grandson, son, and brother of a pastor, and having grandparents who were lay leaders in their local church and region, I have witnessed God’s faithfulness from generation to generation. I have witnessed the struggles of faithfully following Jesus when the economic conditions were difficult or when the naysayers and pundits were speaking loudly. Yet, amid struggles, disagreements, and life issues, they did not forfeit their faith—they kept believing and living for Jesus.
In Psalm 100 we are invited to worship based in our knowledge of who God is and God’s faithfulness to us. We read:
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.
God made all that has been created and God sustains his creation. In God’s creation there is purpose and there is plan. Though we may not always see God’s plan clearly, we know that as we follow him as his sheep, we can trust the shepherd who leads us. When the days are difficult, we recognize we are not alone and that he is with us. We read, “His faithfulness continues through all generations.” The God who was faithful to my grandparents and to my parents, is the same God who is faithful to me as I follow where he leads. He is faithful to guard me, guide me, and goad me when I veer from his path.
Because I know who God is and God’s faithfulness, I “enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.” I “give thanks to him and praise his name.” My worship flows from a heart of thanksgiving to God for loving me, being faithful to me, and calling me his own.
As you daily enter the gates of worship in personal devotion or corporate worship, begin with thanksgiving and praise because “the Lord is good and his love endures forever.”
Prayer: Lord, I enter your gates with thanksgiving in my heart, and I enter your courts with praise. Thank you for creating me and giving me purpose in my life. Thank you for your faithfulness through all generations. In Jesus’ name. Amen.