Knowing God is Necessary
1. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
2. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing.
3. Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
4. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him and bless His Name.
5. For the Lord is good; His Mercy is everlasting; and His Truth endures to all generations.
Psalm 100
Why is it Necessary to Know God?
There are people who long to be blessed by God but have never taken the time to understand who God is. This very thought conjures thoughts of some person living in a pagan land or of some wayward sinner swearing with every breath he takes. Those are the people that we would consider strangers to God. Yet there are millions of noble, cultured, and sophisticated people who don’t know God. Even people in the Church could be strangers to God. Many assume they know the Lord because they have possessions, prestige, or personality and this leads them to conclude that they know God. The fact is there are people who even allege that they are serving God and yet do not know Him. Like the young man Saul, in a zealous effort to rid the world of the Disciples of Christ, cried out, “who art Thou Lord.” Many will find themselves uttering words, “who art You Lord.”
Certainly, as we approach this new year with anticipation, it would be very beneficial to know God and to know His plan. Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. This is an admonition to know God in every possible way and then to acknowledge Him and His sovereignty. Theologian and Bible commentator, Dr. Adam Clarke notes that the knowledge of God is based on two critical points. First, we must know that God is God; He is the uncreated Creator, He is Self-existent, He is Eternal God; He is Elohim. God created all things but was not created, nor was there ever a time that He was not God Almighty. Dr. Clarke went further to explain that this knowledge is critical and necessary if people (all ye lands) are to reach the point of knowing that it truly is a privilege to serve God joyfully. The distinction is whether you will serve the lord with gladness or whether you will serve the Lord out of a sense of duty or constraint. This Psalm is a happy song of joyful thanksgiving to God. It is also a Psalm that does not limit itself to the people of Israel. All lands and all people are invited to know the Lord. Knowing God is necessary if we are to truly enjoy giving thanks.
The second note that Dr. Clarke makes it that we are God’s creation, and we belong to God. Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. This is far more than simply stating that God made us; it goes further to recognize that we also belong to God. The phrase not we ourselves, strongly warns everyone against the pride of self-sufficiency. Only God can make that claim; everyone else must rely on His strength for their being and also their development in life. One contemporary song worded it this way, “I’m Yours Lord – everything I am and everything I’m not. I’m Yours Lord, completely Yours.” Thus it becomes necessary to rehearse this verse to ourselves and to others lest we assume our own creation, our own success, that will ultimately end in our own destruction and defeat. We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
What happens if people don’t join this song or believe this Word? For those who refuse to make the confession that God is God and that we belong to God, there is one conclusion. If you are not in God’s Kingdom, you are automatically in the Devil’s domain. Those who refuse God by default, have accepted Satan as their supreme ruler. As a matter of fact, without coming to the knowledge of God, everyone is a captive of Satan. By the Mercy of God, Jesus Christ has invaded the darkness and redeemed those who prayed to Him to be delivered out of that dark domain and into the Kingdom of His Power. We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. I’m Yours Lord. That is why it is necessary to know God. Without knowing God (through Jesus Christ), you will never discover who you are. You will never experience the joy of singing to God, the Lord He is God: it is He that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
Many theologians have suggested that this song was written during the Captivity in Babylon. It was a song of encouragement as well as reflection. Rather than sung to the tune of gloom and despair, it was vibrant and alive. It was an encouragement for the Jews and for all nations to discover the Goodness of God. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands … Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing. It was also suggested that the song commemorates the victory of Joshua after he defeated his enemies and entered into the Promised Land. If that is the case, then we need to know God more in order to serve Him with gladness and joy. If we truly are to Discover the Riches of God in Christ, it begins with evaluating how much we know about God.
Knowing God in a Storm
God reveals Himself to those who seek Him. Otherwise, we would all be left alone with our perceptions and opinions of God. God reveals Himself that His Truth may take away darkness and bring light to people. God reveals Himself to defeat the enemies of confusion and doubt. God makes Himself known that people would know that He is God, He has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
If you recall, knowing God was critical for the Disciples. The Disciples had followed Jesus for several months, according to Mark Chapter 4. They had watched Jesus perform miracle after miracle. They had witnessed His Words first hand. Their eyes witnessed the Power of God giving sight to the blind, casting out demons, healing leprosy, and giving the paralyzed strength to walk. Make no mistake about it, they witnessed the Power of God Almighty. Yet, they did not know that the Lord He is God. It so happened as they were with Jesus and traveling across the Sea of Galilee, they got caught in a storm. So perilous were the waves and so threatening was the wind, that those experienced fishermen feared for their lives. They did not know where to turn. They finally realized that Someone was on board with them that might be able to help. Their fear had gotten the best of them, so they turned to Jesus in desperation and cried, “Lord, don’t You care that we are perishing.” With that feeble plea, Jesus arose. More on the conclusion of this story in a minute.
Let us fast forward to January 2022. While many are anticipating this as a great year, we cannot ignore the fact that we are in a storm. The waves and winds of COVID have swept over the entire world with devastation. In undeveloped countries as well as poor neighborhoods across America, people are starving. This COVID storm has wreaked havoc on world economies. It has caused shortages in goods delivered. It has affected the mental health of people who now feel paralyzed and hopeless. Yes, we are in a storm. The expert forecasters cannot tell us when this storm will end. It seems that someone has issued the “curtain call on humanity.” We are in a storm as variant after variant seems to marshal in new challenges, new problems, and more deaths. Yes, we are in a storm.
As if that were not enough, earthquakes have hit countries that are already struggling to survive. The countries that normally send relief have less resources to send because they have their own problems. As if that were not enough, tornadoes, wild fires, and drought at the same time are marching across the land with each trying to claim their destructive dominance. We are in a storm and there is not much we can do except wake up the One who is sleeping. Our combined religions are not working. Our manmade solutions are not working. Our political and national leaders can’t find the answer. Yes, we are in a storm. We, as humans, must admit that we need God.
Here is the dilemma. This Psalm 100 was placed on the hearts of people that were in their own storm. They were in captivity. They were in a crisis but found comfort in knowing that God was near to them in their praise. Rather than make desperate cries in hopelessness, they gave a victory shout. They knew that even if they died, that was not the end of the story. God’s truth would keep marching on. This Psalm is a Psalm for folks in a storm. It is a song of joy that proclaims that no matter what, God is still God.
Hear the words of the song again, Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands … Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing … Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture … Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him and bless His Name … For the Lord is good; His Mercy is everlasting; and His Truth endures to all generations. Wait, repeat the last words please. For the Lord is good; His Mercy is everlasting; and His Truth endures to all generations. God makes His Word know in a storm that He is good, and He is God. Storms will never have the last word, that is reserved for God. I have no doubt that God will bring us out of this storm. So, sit back, chill out, and watch God move. COVID is going to be over. Earthquakes must stop shaking things up sooner or later. Tornadoes must stop their rage afterwhile. Because after a while, He that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. Jesus will arise and when He does, everything will be alright. That is why knowing God is necessary.
So here is the question we must ask. Will Jesus arise to the voice of our fear or will He arise to the voice of our praise. Will we, like the Disciples, cry out in desperation and ask, Lord, don’t You care that we are perishing?” Or do we greet Jesus with a voice of triumph as if to say, Lord, I knew You would do it! As you recall, Jesus arose and rebuked the storm that harassed the Disciples on the Sea of Galilee saying, “Peace, be still.” That’s the Word we need for now. While many assume, as I did, that Jesus was speaking to the storm only, but Jesus called out for Peace. When God called for Peace, the storm had no choice but to behave. Read the verse again in Mark 4:39, And He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the storm, “Peace, be still.” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. That great calm is the presence of Peace. Peace showed up.
Here is the awesome news, every time you offer praise to God, it becomes an offering to God that brings peace. Psalm 100 is a wonderful way of saying to God, “Lord, You’ve got this!” It is for that purpose that we should always recognize God no matter what the situation. Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture … Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him and bless His Name … For the Lord is good; His Mercy is everlasting; and His Truth endures to all generations. God’s got this.