Psalm 100:3

Psalm 100:3,  Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

 The psalmist gives us a partial answer about why we are to shout for joy and worship with gladness. We are given at least 3 positive assurances here (I actually count 5, but some of them are very similar).  What assurances do you see here?

Know that the Lord is God.  That might sound obvious and redundant. In biblical times there were lots of gods. Think about how people today regard money, political power, fame, pleasure, etc. Are these things “worshiped” almost as if they were gods? How does this obvious and redundant statement speak to our culture today?

 It is he who made us. How does this differ from the origin of humanity according to secular evolution? According to secular evolution, why are we here? According to It is he who made us why are we here? Is this difference important?

 We are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Who do we belong to?  Why is this knowledge reassuring? 

 How does this verse speak to God’s faithfulness? How does it speak to our faith and our faithfulness?

 Make this verse personal. Know that the Lord is [insert your name here & make it possessive, i.e. Richard’s] God.  It is he who made [insert your name here], and [insert your name here] [is] his; etc. After having thought about the whole verse that way ask yourself, how does that change your perspective on faith and faithfulness?

 Try taking this personalized verse and using it as a starting point for prayer.