A Community Celebration

What does it take to make a community sing, shout, and celebrate together?  Winning a national or international sports championship certainly fits the bill.  In today’s Psalm we have a picture of a community filled with joy but there’s no sports event. 

Shout for joy to the Lord, everyone on earth. Worship the Lord with gladness.  Come to him with songs of joy. Know that the Lord is God. He made us, and we belong to him. We are his people. We are the sheep belonging to his flock. Give thanks as you enter the gates of his temple. Give praise as you enter its courtyards. Give thanks to him and praise his name. The Lord is good. His faithful love continues forever. It will last for all time to come.

Psalm 100:1-5

These people are remembering the goodness of the God who created them and so much more.  They are celebrating the wonderful truth that they belong to God.  They are praising God and acknowledging that He cares, protects and provides shelter for them, along with everything else that comes with “belonging.”

We see lots of good things around us but there’s something that goes much deeper within us when we experience ourselves loved and having a sense of belonging. 

We can enter in and be part of something good and safe.  We can know the safety and peace that comes from the assurance that someone “has our back.”  That’s what the community is celebrating.

Are we celebrating?  Do we know that not only has God created us, but He has made a way for us to belong?  Have we received forgiveness and new life by trusting in what Jesus did for us when He died on the cross?  Are we coming close to God today with confidence because we believe and are trusting that when Jesus washed us clean from our sin, guilt and shame had to go too? 

Heavenly Father, We believe that You love us and will always be good to us.  We don’t want to just stand on the sidelines and watch the community celebrate Your goodness.  We want to join in. 

And so we come joyfully to You with thanks that our sins are forgiven and, confident in Your love and goodness.  This is what gives us hope for the future as well.   

We need the love You generously offer and so we surrender  our will and our life into Your care.  Amen

So let’s focus today on looking beyond ourselves and really noticing God’s goodness and mercy wherever we see it all through this day.