Shout Joyfully to the Lord

Shout Joyfully to the LordText: Psalm 100

This psalm is about praising God. It begins with a universal call to praise Him. It gives us some insight into HOW we offer praise to God and describes some of the reasons WHY He is worthy of praise. Let us notice some of the things this psalm tells us about how and why we are to praise the Lord.

Universal Call to Praise the Lord

  • The call to praise the Lord is for everyone – “all the earth” (v. 1); there are certain universal truths (who God is, what He has done, what He will do)
  • How we can offer praise to the Lord (v. 2) – we can serve Him and must do so according to His will (Matthew 7:21-27); we can worship Him (John 4:24) and must make time to assemble (Hebrews 10:25)
  • Our attitude in offering praise to God – with gladness (v. 1-2), not under compulsion (cf. 2 Corinthians 9:7), but we desire to worship Him; with thanksgiving (v. 4), recognizing all of the blessings we have are from Him (James 1:17)

Recognize Our Place before Him

  • Know that the Lord is God (v. 3) – none like Him; He is the only true and living God (Jeremiah 10:10; cf. 1 Thessalonians 1:9); therefore, only He is worthy of such praise and devotion (Acts 19:26)
  • He is our Creator (v. 3) – He is the Creator of all things (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16); He has power over us to give life or to destroy (James 4:12); we are accountable to Him (2 Corinthians 5:10); our meaning in life is rooted in Him (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
  • We are His people (v. 3) – He has the right to rule over us (Matthew 28:18)
  • We are the sheep of His pasture (v. 3) – we are wholly dependent upon Him (cf. Matthew 9:36)

Recognize the Goodness of God

  • The Lord is good (v. 5) – wholly good; nothing corrupt in Him (cf. 1 John 1:5); no one is good but God (Luke 18:19)
  • His lovingkindness is everlasting (v. 5) – it never ceases and is new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23); God continues to extend His mercy toward us (2 Peter 3:9)
  • His faithfulness continues to all generations (v. 5) – “Great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:23); He has shown this in the past and will continue in our generation and beyond; this is the firm foundation upon which to build our lives; He does not change (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8)

Conclusion

  • The Lord is the great God who created the universe – He is also good, merciful, and faithful to us
  • Knowing this, let us serve Him with gladness and praise Him with thanksgiving – He is worthy of this