One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 100. If I ever need a Scripture to put on a birthday card or a note, it's perfect. It's so cheery and reassuring. I can remember the first time I ever "discovered" this Psalm. I was new at a church and the pastor asked for a volunteer to read aloud. Reading aloud has been one of my favorite activities since I learned how to read. When I was little, I remember telling my parents that I wanted to be a minister. Surprised, they asked why. I said, "So I can read outloud all the time." So, when offered the opportunity to read aloud, naturally I raised my hand up high. Quigg picked me! Pride swelled my chest as I thought of what an awe-inspiring job I would do reading the psalm that day.

I started out strong. But when I got to one line, I got choked me up. "It is He who made us, and we are His." It really hit me that day and I started to cry. I was just overcome with what a special and marvelous truth that is. My voice became wobbly and got smaller and smaller as the rest of the words of the psalm trailed off. Now it wasn't about how awe-inspiring my reading would be...it was about how truly awesome the Words are. As I sniffled the last bit and sat down, Dave said, "People probably think you're afraid to read aloud." Great.

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.

Psalm 100

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. All the earth shouting for joy, what would that look like? What would that sound like? I think would look like spring.

Think about it. When everything blooms and buds and bursts forth color and there is fragrance in the air, this is truly the entire earth shouting out for joy.

Last year, I prayed for the irises to bloom on Easter and they did.
They were shouting for joy, big bunches of them, in various stages of bloom, just shouting..... “Look at me!” “Look what God made!”
“Am I more purple or blue?" "Would you call me periwinkle?”
“Aren’t I gorgeous?””Don’t I make you want to shout for joy, too?”

And you know what, they did. They made me want to shout for joy.
Because, hey, we are his people, his flowers, his creation too.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
We are his. “I’m with Him,” we can say to anyone who tries to stop us.

The bouncer may try to keep us out of the party, but we have the magic words.
“I’m with Him.” Voila, the velvet rope is lifted and we are allowed In.
Anywhere He goes, we go.

We are his sheep. The sheep of his pasture. No other pasture. His pasture.

Because we populate his pasture, we hear his voice. We follow him. Right through the gates, his gates. We are so thankful to enter. We're safe there, and secure, and happy. Praise him and thank Him today, and every day, for bringing you in.

Having a bad day? Don't feel like shouting for joy at the moment? Consider this wonderous truth. It doesn't matter how you feel. Because whether you "feel" it today, or not...here's the Truth. He is good. His love lasts. He is faithful.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations.

That makes me so happy I could just read outloud!