December begins! Here in the Fraser Valley, we just welcomed our first snowfall. For me, the glow of Christmas lights on a bed of fresh snow evokes a sense of nostalgia. It’s a nice feeling. In a world as divided as ours seems to be, it’s tempting to hold on to that feeling and even mistake it for Christmas.
Thankfully, Christmas is about more than nice feelings. It’s about a promise of enduring love.
Psalm 100 isn’t your typical Christmas passage. But the words express the author’s gratitude and joy. Take verses 4 and 5, for example:
“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.”
Maybe it’s just me, but that last verse makes me think of Christmas: “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
The psalmist wasn’t celebrating Jesus, of course, but what was true then is true now. The same love and faithfulness that brought the author so much joy endures today. Because God is good, he sent his Son to earth. Because God loves us, Jesus lived and died without sin to atone for our mistakes. His faithfulness continues.
We can experience peace and joy because of the promise of God’s enduring love. Whether we look back at the generations that came before or look ahead to those that will follow, God remains constant.
Let’s give thanks this Christmas. Let’s embrace the peace of God’s promises and celebrate his enduring faithfulness. He loves us wherever we are and welcomes us to his table.
Thank you – this verse “Enter His gates with thanksgiving” meant a lot to me while I was in jail.