Shout to the Lord!

Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. Psalm 100 NLT

Getting ready for church can be the biggest joy killer there is. This is specially true if you have children.

Growing up we usually went to see my grandmother across town after church. One week she would cook (this meant she went to Sunday school but not to church) and the next we would eat out. So, not only did we have to get up, get dressed, eat a hurried breakfast and get to the church, we would also have to be prepared to make a day of it. Homework would have to be packed, my parents would probably make a grocery list and books or important documents would have to be gathered. My mother would fuss because my father would drop us off and go get a paper to read until right before the preacher began his message. It did not always seem worth the effort to go to church.

Yet, we are reminded in today's scripture that our worship should be a time of joy. We should come before God singing, shouting and being glad. We should have thanksgiving on our hearts and an understanding of the good things God has done for us.

God, you are our God. You made us and we are yours. We give thanks to you and praise your name. You are good and your unfailing love continues forever. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2012 Amelia G. Sims