April 1, 2016
The Gallery of God
Read:
Psalm
100
The
Lord is good and his love endures forever. — Psalm 100:5
Psalm 100 is like a work of art that helps us celebrate our
unseen God. While the focus of our worship is beyond view, His people make Him known.
Imagine the artist with brush and palette working the colorful
words of this psalm onto a canvas. What emerges before our eyes is a world—“all
the earth”—shouting for joy to the Lord (v. 1). Joy. Because it is the delight
of our God to redeem us from death. “For the joy that was set before Him,”
Jesus endured the cross (Heb. 12:2 nkjv).
As our eyes move across the canvas we see an all-world choir of
countless members singing “with gladness” and “joyful songs” (Ps. 100:2). Our
heavenly Father’s heart is pleased when His people worship Him for who He is
and what He has done.
Then we see images of ourselves, fashioned from dust in the
hands of our Creator, and led like sheep into green pastures (v. 3). We, His
people, have a loving Shepherd.
Finally, we see God’s great and glorious dwelling place—and the
gates through which His rescued people enter His unseen presence, while giving
Him thanks and praise (v. 4).
What
a picture, inspired by our God. Our good, loving, and faithful God. No wonder
it will take forever to enjoy His greatness!
Great God of heaven, thank You for life, for
joy, for protection, and for promising us a future with You forever. Help us to
live with thoughts of Your greatness always on our hearts and minds.
Nothing is more awesome than to know God.
INSIGHT:
Bible scholar J. J. S. Perowne says this
about the purpose of Psalm 100: “If we are right in regarding Psalms 93–99 as
forming one continuous series, one great prophetic oratorio, whose title is
‘Jehovah is King,’ and through which there runs the same great idea, this Psalm
may be regarded as the doxology which closes the strain. We find lingering in
it notes of the same great harmony. It breathes the same gladness; it is filled
with the same hope, that all nations shall bow down before Jehovah, and confess
that he is God.” Psalm 100 expresses this great desire—that the world that is
separated from God might know Him and His greatness. Bill Crowder
Source: Our Daily Bread 2016
