Bible Readings: Psalm 100:1-5
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
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.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
A Thought
There will be a lot of shouts for joy this weekend as Premier League football gets back into full swing. Football, like Church, is now confined to the armchair, rather than the usual venue and, like church, will struggle for the sense of togetherness that they are used to. It is good, though, that things are moving forwards, even if only in small steps, both in churches and in football grounds.
I often wonder why, as congregations, we don’t get as excited about our God as football fans do about their team. When you analyse it, there really is no excuse!
King David knew who he supported when he wrote this psalm, he knew which side he belonged to and who it was he worshipped. David worshipped the God who made us and cares for us as a shepherd cares for his sheep.
The God David worshipped provides for his followers, while the football supporters themselves provide for the upkeep of their idols through ticket prices or TV rights. God is faithful to his followers while footballers may transfer teams and play for a different group of supporters. And, while footballers make mistakes and their teams get beaten or relegated, God is good all the time.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying don’t support a football team, or any other sports team or sports star for that matter. I’m just asking why, if people can get so excited about such transient matters, we don’t make a lot more noise about our God, and about Jesus, our ‘Man of the Match’?
What are you thankful to God for? Will you shout for oy and tell someone else, so that they too can give thanks to God?
A Prayer
Lord Jesus, may we your followers worship you, in spirit and in truth, for who you are and for all that you have done. May the whole world know what a great God you are.
Amen.