Oct-14-0533-Rejoicing in being the Lord’s possession
533_Rejoicing in being the Lord’s possession Psalm 100 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! 5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. A few years ago, there was a legal battle in a large city over a small but valuable piece of land. Two parties claimed ownership of it, each producing documents and witnesses to prove their case. The fight dragged on for years, costing both sides millions of dollars, and in the end, the judge ruled in favor of one. Ownership was established—but by then, both parties had already spent so much that the victory seemed hollow. That courtroom battle symbolizes the greater reality in our world today. Nations fight over borders. Families are torn apart in disputes over inheritance. Even friendships are broken because of claims over property. The same question appears in different forms: Who is the owner? Who has the right to decide? And behind it is the greater question: Who owns the world itself? Who owns us? Many of the wealthy and powerful in this world behave as though they own everything. Because they control vast sums of money, or land, or resources, they think they can shape reality to their will. Psalm 100 declares the truth: ownership ultimately belongs, not to them but to God. He made us, and we are His. This realization changes everything—our joy, our worship, our purpose, and our peace. This short psalm, only five verses long, is among the most joyful in the book. It begins: “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” This invitation is not only for Israel, but all the earth. Worship is not limited by geography, ethnicity, or culture. The call to worship is universal: to acknowledge God, to rejoice in Him, to serve Him with gladness. Worship is not a burden or a heavy obligation, but a truly joyful privilege. His worshippers do not come before him grumbling or with long lists of complaints, but rather with songs of praise and thankfulness. Even when we bring our requests, the pattern is: “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). The central declaration of the psalm is: “Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” The Lord alone is God. Whether people acknowledge Him or not does not change the fact, just as the Himalayan peaks soar regardless of whether anyone knows about them or not. Their existence is not dependent on our recognition. God exists and reigns, regardless of human