This Psalm invites “all the earth” to shout for joy and worship God with gladness. It invites us to come to God with thankful hearts and praise on our lips. I recall a church member years ago who told me why she came back to the fellowship of the church after having drifted away as a young adult in her college years. She said, “I needed a place to help me express my gratitude and thanksgiving.”
A good question is “why?” That is, what makes God so worthy of our worship and praise? Psalm 100 is brief... but it has some clear answers! It proclaims that God gave us life and we belong to God like sheep to a pasture. Not only did God call us into being and claim us as heaven’s own, but the very character (name) of the Lord gives us joy. The final verse of this Psalm reads, “The Lord is good and has love that endures forever. The faithfulness of God continues for all generations.”
Do you hear the foundation of faith that we teach our children in these verses? “Jesus loves me this I know”, or “God is great, God is good” or “God is so good to me.” This great Psalm says it simply: The Lord is good! And God’s love is steadfast, faithful and enduring. It is love for us today and it is love for all who follow us. That’s good news for all the world! Such good news makes us want to join with others in joyful worship and offering praise and thanksgiving.
