Scripture Reading(s)
Psalm 95
95:1 O come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
95:2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
95:3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
95:4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.
95:5 The sea is his, for he made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed.
95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
95:7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would listen to his voice!
95:8 Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
95:9 when your ancestors tested me, and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
95:10 For forty years I loathed that generation and said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they do not regard my ways.”
95:11 Therefore in my anger I swore, “They shall not enter my rest.”
Reflections
Worship whether in song or by actions is our means of praising God, who is worthy of all our praise. Whenever we worship God, our hearts should do it with an attitude of thanksgiving. The first section of this Psalm refers to how great our God is. He is referred to as the only true God, creator of all, and holds many titles that show He is the supreme ruler of everything in this world. He is also a God that we can trust, rely and depend on. Verse 7 calls us His sheep and therefore He is our shepherd. He is one who cares for His flock and therefore as a response to that, we aught to turn and praise Him for all that He has done for us.
We only have one life time to turn and accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. This Psalm is not only calling us to worship God but to hear His voice and respond. Verse 8 serves as a warning about hardening our hearts towards accepting Him into our lives. The nation of Israel serve as an example of what happens when they respond in both obedience and disobedience. As a result of their disobedience, many did not enter into the land that He had promised them.
Christ is calling us to be obedient to the message of the Gospel. At the end of this Psalm we are left with a promise that when we choose to obey and follow after Him, we are guaranteed to find rest. This rest refers to when we are finally with Him in Heaven for all of eternity. We get to enter into His presence and spend forever with Him, finally at rest.