Praising Scripture - Dec 1

Annual Bible Reading Plan:

HOS.6-9
ACT.12

2024 31-Day Praising Day 1:

"Enter His Courts with Praise" (Psalm 100:1-5)
(Memorization Scripture 4-5)

1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before Him with joyful songs.
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.
4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him and praise His name.
5 For the Lord is good
and His love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Reflection:
"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise." Praise the Lord! Through thanksgiving, we draw near to God and enter His gates; through praise, we come even closer, entering His courts and journeying into the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. Following our thirty days of practicing thanksgiving, we now begin the month of praising, continuing to cultivate thanksgiving and praise in our lives. Let us, with faith and expectation, embark on these next thirty-one days of focused practice, ascending daily toward greater spiritual growth, fullness, and victory brought about by thanksgiving and praise. This psalm, often used in worship services by liturgically oriented churches throughout history, is a rich resource for reflecting on and practicing praise. Notably, the six imperative sentences in this psalm remind us that thanksgiving and praise are not just attitudes we should adopt when drawing near to the Lord but are also the very pathways into His presence. Furthermore, the psalm emphasizes that our thanksgiving and praise should be accompanied by joyful shouting and gladness of heart. This morning, let us all shout for joy to the Lord and sing to Him with glad hearts! For indeed, "the Lord is good, and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations."