Romans 8:28 NLT
Psalm 100 NKJV
Psalm 95:1-5 NKJV
Psalm 107:1-3 ESV
UN Series
I have recently come to believe the UN thankful are not really unthankful. Most of the time, the unthankful are uninformed.
See, the very act of being unthankful is an exhortation of hopelessness. The unthankful have forgotten, or they’ve not been told about the magnitude and grandeur of God. Hopeless despair comes because they forget to open their eyes to see the glory of the Lord around us.
The nations are caught up in strife and disillusioned with the threat from within and without. They see hopelessness, but they do not SEE God working in the midst of despair.
The key is that God always works all things for good. No matter how bad it gets, God will bring good TO it. It was no accident that the Apostle Paul wrote Romans 8:28 to the church in Rome and to us today. “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
God causes everything.
For all good.
To those who love God.
And are called.
That means in every nation, to all people who love God. All people who have turned to God receive the blessing that God is working and will work everything for good.
All nations.
Psalm 100:1-5 is a brief but bold song to ALL the nations.
“Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God.
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
and into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
and His truth endures to all generations.”
Psalm 100 is a song for the nations…all the nations. The song leader’s first stanza issues a call to serve our great God with gladness. We are given the opportunity daily even in the solitude of our homes to march into worship singing and praising our Great God.
We at acrazyjourney.com with God have been blessed recently with visitors from many nations. When visitors outside the United States started joining us for Bible Study and prayer, I was a little surprised and a LOT blessed!
Mostly I was reminded that this God we serve can DO anything. When God wants people to gather to pray (online or in person), God WILL make it happen.
Psalm 100 IS a song for the nations…all the nations. Together we praise God. Together our hearts stand in unity. Together we worship!
David wrote in Psalm 95:1-5, “Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the LORD is the great God, and the great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth' the heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; and His hands formed the dry land.”
Likewise, the call to worship in thanksgiving “come let us sing” means let us sing in community together.
The call to worship comes with a joyful shout!
David reminds the community that God is THE God who created the deepest depths and the highest hills. The vast sea was created by our God, and with His hands, God formed the dry land.
God created us.
God created community.
As an outpouring of love, God created.
In thanksgiving, we come before His presence and we shout joyfully!
Again, David wrote in Psalm 107:1-3, “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.”
David reminded the community to give thanks for God’s goodness and His enduring love. With our song, the redeemed proclaim that it is God who rescues His people from every land.
God calls us together from east to west, north to south.
Together we thank God for His enduring love.
Together we celebrate our redemption.
Together we gather to worship and give thanks, for our God, this God we serve endures forever!
Today’s Spiritual Practice is: Worship God
Sing (or speak) a song of worship to God. Let it sink deep into your bones and thank God for the blessing!
In God, Deborah
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