The Good Shepherd

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

Have you ever thought about your emotions being directly tied to how you see God and how He sees you? We are often driven by our emotions. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. How would you describe your current mood?

How you feel might be a result of what happened today or recently, what you are looking forward to, or what you are dreading. You might be over the moon with joy or excitement, or you might be in the depths of despair. Most of the time we live in between the two extremes, but how we feel is often tied to our circumstances. How is your mood today affected by what is currently happening in your life?

Living this way makes life feel like a roller-coaster. One day we're up, another we're down. This week is great, but the next might be terrible. We might make good or poor choices to contribute to the way we feel, or the actions of others might be a factor, but either way it's an unstable foundation. Psalm 100 provides a new way, a better way. Are you interested?

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

Worship the LORD with gladness;

Come before him with joyful songs.

First of all, it's about choosing joy. Notice it doesn't say, 'Shout for joy when you feel like it, when things are good, when you have no reason to be sad or angry or frustrated.' It just says, 'Shout for joy, worship with gladness, and come before him with joy.' This requires us to see God a certain way. The next verse tells us how.

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.

How you see God and how you believe He sees you are critical to how you feel and your ability to choose joy no matter what else is going on in your life. Thinking again about your current mood and how your circumstances are affecting that, how does bringing God into your thoughts change things? If the change is for the better, you likely have a proper view of God, and yourself as His beloved child. You only need to keep the truth close to your heart. But if thinking about God makes it worse--you're angry or feel abandoned, then your view of God needs an adjustment.

This might sound overly simple, but God is God, and He is your God. He is with you and will help you. He calls Himself the Good Shepherd, and we are His sheep. Visualize yourself as a part of His flock. What does a shepherd do? Cares for the sheep, meets their needs, protects them, guides them. If one wanders off, He goes after it. Even sin and mistakes don't disqualify you from His love and perfect care, but believing in His presence can make a radical difference.

Believing these things will change the way you feel. Faith in His love and expecting good things from God will improve your mood. Joy and peace can come when you don't think they can.

Go ahead, try it. Begin and finish each day with belief, praise, and thanksgiving, and see where that daily practice leads you and affects your outlook.

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.