May 29, 2017

THANKFUL FOR THE DAILY REMINDERS

Psalm 100

Audrey Morales
Monday's Devo

May 29, 2017

Monday's Devo

May 29, 2017

Central Truth

We are God’s people. He chose us, not because of anything we have done, but solely because we are His. Our role as Christians is to bring honor and glory to His holy name. We do this by giving thanks for His many blessings and singing His praises continuously.

Key Verse | Psalm 100:3–4

Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
(Psalm 100:3-4)

Psalm 100

His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

A Psalm for giving thanks.

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
    Serve the LORD with gladness!
    Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the LORD, he is God!
    It is he who made us, and we are his; 1 100:3 Or and not we ourselves
    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise!
    Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the LORD is good;
    his steadfast love endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations.

Footnotes

[1] 100:3 Or and not we ourselves

Dive Deeper | Psalm 100

I tend to be forgetful and can easily find myself believing lies instead of God’s truth, but God knows all and gave me the perfect gift as a reminder. I adopted Uber, my Chihuahua mix, on 9/6/2014, and he is just like me! He was a stray, was a little distracted, and was all smiles as he posed for the pictures in the car. Then the car started, and suddenly Uber bailed and was shivering and hiding underneath my seat.

This poor little guy was scared of everything. He would get so scared that it would quickly turn to anger, and he would lash out. When I walked him, any little noise would set him off, and he would bolt, practically choking himself on the leash. Now, two years later, he has learned to walk beside me, trusting I will keep him safe.

When I see this, I cannot help but thank God for rescuing me from my life of fear, for teaching me how to trust Him, and for giving me a daily reminder to walk with Him and that He is my refuge. This reminder fills me with such thankfulness and gratefulness for His unconditional love, kindness, provision, and patience, which in turn prepares my heart to sing His praises wherever I roam.

I wish I could say I always heed or no longer need the reminder, but I am still a work in progress, as is Uber. It is such a gift to see how much it pains me when Uber is scared, how much I want to protect him. It reminds me that God and His love for me are perfect, that He pursues me, that He will never forsake me, and that, as I walk with Him, I can accomplish great things. I am reminded that apart from Him I can do nothing (John 15:5). Uber and I are not yet fearless, but we are loved. And I am thankful that there is nothing that can separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39).

Hallelujah, praise the Lord! The Almighty, the perfect Father!

Discussion Questions

1. God does not always give us what we want, but He tends to give us what we need. What are some of the gifts in your life that fulfill a need? Have you thanked Him for those lately? I bet He would love to hear from you.

2. I wore masks and built up walls for so many years to self-protect out of fear of being hurt. Do you have similar struggles, such as selfishness, pride, anger, control, anxiousness, co-dependency, etc.? There is freedom from those struggles, and we would love to help. Re:generation, a biblically based 12-step program with a mission to call all people to be fully devoted followers of Christ, meets at Watermark weekly (Dallas campus on Monday nights at 6:30 p.m., Plano campus on Tuesday nights at 6:30 p.m., and Fort Worth campus on Monday nights at 6:30 p.m.). 

3. I have heard it said and witnessed it myself that prayer helps to change one’s perspective. As I enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise, it is nearly impossible for me not to be overwhelmed by God’s unconditional love and His relentless pursuit of me. It helps me to see the bigger picture, and the little things that get me all worked up seem to fade into the background. Have you had similar experiences? If not, give it a try today!