In worship, we find not duty, but joy,
In songs of praise, our voices employ.
With gladness, we come before His throne,
Acknowledging His goodness, in every tone.
The Lord, our Maker, to whom we belong,
In His creation, we find our song.
A sense of humility, gratitude in our heart,
For it is He who made us, in His art.
The Lord is good, His love, forever it stays,
His faithfulness endures, through all our days.
Through generations, His truth remains,
In His unchanging character, our hope sustains.
So let us trust, in His steadfast love,
And in His faithfulness, sent from above.
For He is our God, in Him we trust,
In His unchanging character and love so just.
REFLECTION:
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise; give thanks to him; bless his name. (Psalm 100:4)
Worship is not a duty but a joy. We should worship the Lord with gladness and come before Him with an attitude of gratitude, acknowledging His goodness in our lives.
It is the Lord who made us, and we are His. Recognizing God as our Creator leads to a sense of humility and gratitude.
The Lord is good, His love endures forever, and His faithfulness continues through all generations. Let us trust in God’s unchanging character and His steadfast love and faithfulness.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before You not out of duty, but with joy in our hearts. We worship You with gladness, acknowledging Your goodness in our lives. We are grateful for every blessing, every lesson, and every moment of grace.
We recognize that You are our Creator. It is You who made us, and we are Yours. This understanding fills us with humility and gratitude. We are Your children, crafted by Your hands, loved by Your heart.
We proclaim that You are good. Your love endures forever, unfailing and unchanging. Your faithfulness is a constant through all generations, a beacon of hope in a changing world.
We place our trust in Your unchanging character and Your steadfast love. We have faith in Your promises, for we know that You are faithful to fulfill them.
In all things, we seek to honor You, to live according to Your will, and to reflect Your love to the world.
In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Pericope:
Fourth Book of Psalms 90-106
PROCESSIONAL HYMN
Psalm 100:1-5
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 100:2, 3, 4, 5
R: Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
2 Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful song. (R) 3 Know that the Lord is God; he made us, his we are; his people, the flock he tends. (R) 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise; give thanks to him; bless his name. (R) 5 The Lord is good: his kindness endures forever, and his faithfulness, to all generations. (R)
Background:
Psalm 100 is a psalm of thanksgiving and praise to God, inviting all lands to worship Him. It is the only psalm in the collection to bear the title "A Psalm of Thanksgiving". The psalm was likely used in temple worship, and it emphasizes the joy and gladness that should accompany worship.
The specific verses you mentioned (Psalm 100:2, 3, 4, 5) contain several key themes:
Verse 2 calls for worshiping the Lord with gladness and singing. This verse emphasizes the joy that should accompany worship.
Verse 3 acknowledges that the Lord is God, and it is He who made us. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. This verse emphasizes our relationship with God as His creation and His people.
Verse 4 invites us to enter God’s gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. It calls for giving thanks to God and blessing His name. This verse emphasizes gratitude and praise in our relationship with God.
Verse 5 affirms that the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. This verse emphasizes God’s goodness, mercy, and truth.
The psalm as a whole, and these verses in particular, provide a model of joyful and thankful worship, acknowledging God as our Creator and Shepherd. They remind us of our identity as God’s people and call us to express our gratitude and praise to Him.
Learning Lessons:
These verses from Psalm 100:2, 3, 4, 5 offer several spiritual lessons for believers:
Joyful Worship (Psalm 100:2): This verse teaches us to worship the Lord with gladness and come before Him with joyful songs. It reminds us that worship is not a duty but a joy.
Acknowledging God as Creator (Psalm 100:3): This verse reminds us that it is the Lord who made us, and we are His. Recognizing God as our Creator leads to a sense of humility and gratitude.
Entering God’s Presence with Thanksgiving (Psalm 100:4): We are invited to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. This teaches us to approach God with an attitude of gratitude, acknowledging His goodness in our lives.
God’s Enduring Love and Faithfulness (Psalm 100:5): This verse affirms that the Lord is good, His love endures forever, and His faithfulness continues through all generations. It encourages us to trust in God’s unchanging character and His steadfast love and faithfulness.
These lessons remind us of the importance of joyful worship, recognizing God as our Creator, approaching God with thanksgiving, and trusting in His enduring love and faithfulness. (Conversation with Copilot)
