This past week my Dad would have turned 100 years old. He had a good life, and a long life, as he lived to be just shy of 88 years. But it certainly caught my attention, and the attention of my five siblings, that this year, Dad would have turned 100.
Now I know that 100 is just a number. And the marking of 100 years since he was born doesn’t have much meaning to anyone except maybe to my family. Yet, it is a milestone of sorts. And it gets a person thinking. It has caused me some reflection.
And maybe it is a coincidence, I don’t know, but as I’ve reflected on this, my mind went to Psalm 100. 100 years old; Psalm 100. Interesting.
Psalm 100 gives us both calling and promise. Verses one and two give us our calling, our lifelong vocation. “Make a Joyful Noise unto the Lord. Worship the Lord with gladness; come into His presence with singing.”
Verse three shifts to God’s promise. “Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.” The psalm writer doesn’t say, “We might belong to God. Or we might be the sheep God cares for.” Rather, we receive a direct and certain promise from God. “We belong to Him. We are God’s sheep, who He cares for.”
Verse four continues the same calling theme from verses one and two. “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to God, bless His name.”
Verse five closes out this short but wonderful Psalm with another promise. “For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”
As I reflect on my Dad’s “would be” 100th birthday, it reminds me that all of us have many, many milestones and markers in our lives. Time moves forward, seemingly all too quickly these days.
Think of the milestones in your life. Take time to stop and reflect on where you’ve been; where you are now; and where your life is going.
I love how this Psalm closes. God’s faithfulness is from generation to generation. As God was faithful to my Dad and my Mom, so too God is faithful to me, and to my children, and it will never stop. And you can be sure that God’s faithfulness is to you, to your family, and to each new generation.
So please, take time to ponder your life and especially to reflect on the goodness of God. And be sure to make worship a high priority in your life. It is your number one calling to “Make a Joyful Noise to the Lord; worship the Lord with gladness.”
For this weekend in worship, please read Paul’s short letter to the Colossians.
And a reminder to all men at Gloria Dei.
Men’s Retreat, September 22 to 24. This is open to all men of the congregation, ages 18 and older. We will gather at Inspiration Hills Retreat Center in Inwood, Iowa (south of Canton). Registration and details are available on our website under “Sign Ups and Happenings”. We will enjoy both learning and fellowship with other men from Gloria Dei. Please get your name on the list, as I expect this to fill up quickly.
Pastor Tim
