Wednesday 23 November 2022

Thought fir Wednesday, 23 November

 Psalm 100 (New Living Translation)


Shout with joy to the Lord, O earth!  Worship the Lord with gladness.  Come before him, singing with joy.  Acknowledge that the Lord is God!  He made us and we are his.  We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise.  Give thanks to him and bless his name.  For the Lord is good.  His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
 
The suggested reading from Bible Gateway today was verses 4 & 5 from this Psalm but the complete Psalm has only 5 verses so I’ve included all five.  When we sing ‘All people that on earth do dwell’, we are singing this Psalm.  It’s one of those worship songs that we’ve probably sang so frequently that we know most of the words ‘off by heart’.
 
Another version of this Psalm tells us God’s love endures forever.  In my opinion, we have less of an enduring society today than we had in years gone by.  When I started my working life, I recall there were frequent celebrations of men and women that had worked for the same employer for 20, 30 or even 40 years.  Even when it came to where we live, it wasn’t unusual for folks to live in the same house for most of their lives.  I don’t see too much of either these days.  I’m not trying to say any of this is wrong, it’s just that society has changed and will continue to change and evolve.
 
If we look for definitions of what it means to endure, invariably it is in the context of putting up with something that’s causing us pain or discomfort.  It is comforting and reassuring to know that even when we get things wrong, and we all do, that God’s love will endure and through the grace that comes from our faith in his son, we will be forgiven.
 
Many of us feel guilty about things we have done in our lives.  Jesus tells us he will take our guilt upon his own shoulders freeing us to come to worship him with gladness and thankfulness.  Salvation is something to be celebrated, not something to be miserable about.
 
If ever we are feeling down or low, we should read this short Psalm.  It should fill our very being with optimism, reassurance and comfort.
 
The Church of Scotland wants congregations to focus on mission.  We need to pray for evolution and development of our missional skills to cope with the changes we recognise in our society to ensure future generations can experience the same enduring love that is known to us.
 
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for providing us with the means, through scripture, to get to know you better.  We thank you for the guidance, the reassurance and encouragement that lives within each page.  We thank you that you are patient and forgiving with us through your enduring love, in your most gracious name.           Amen

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