WEEK THREE – FINAL THOUGHTS
Insights on Giving Thanks: Psalm 100 NIV
(As a reference, this passage is repeated at the end of this section.)
NOTE TO GROUP LEADER: Insights on Giving Thanks (Psalm 100 NIV). It is a time for personal reflection and to share our experiences and how they relate to the passage. Allow the group to consider if this exercise and discussion have provided clarity for our lives and how we live from day to day. Allow the discussion to flow freely so that individuals feel that they have been heard. Try to ensure that everyone had an opportunity to share. Do not insist that a person share but offer him or her the opportunity. The closing reflection and prayer may be read by the Group Leader, or one or two members of the group may be asked to read aloud. (Items needed: Closing Reflection, Closing Song, Discussion Questions):
Follow the order as indicated below:
- Closing Reflection
- Closing song with words
- Discussion Questions
- Closing Song (if group wishes)
Closing Reflection and Prayer:
Psalm 100 takes us on a journey which celebrates God and all He has given us. King David calls out to us to “shout for joy.” What an upbeat and refreshing moment in scripture and salvation history!
So much of what we read and experience in the Bible – especially in the Old Testament — talks of suffering, sacrificing, battles between right and wrong; we only see the challenges and the burdens.
Of course, this part of our history is important to understand and appreciate, but, sometimes, they become our only focus and we forget the joyful parts of scripture, starting with the creation and culminating with the Resurrection.
So often we focus on those same challenges in our own lives — the loss of loved ones, the tragedies, the loneliness we may sometimes feel and those ever-present aches and pains. We completely forget that God has given us a world which can give us relief and joy. Psalm 100 reminds us of that.
This world can make us breathe freely and get lost in its beauty. The children of God can give us comfort. And God, in all His glory has given us all that we could ever need, beginning with life itself. He made us and, therefore, we are His. That means that He is committed to taking care of us, supporting us as individuals and as a people, giving us all that we need – not necessarily all that we want — so that someday, we will return home to Him.
He is our shepherd and we are his sheep, living in his green pasture where He provides for all our needs. There, He will keep constant watch over us, and, if we don’t wander away, no evil nor harm can come to us.
God is ever-present to us and the psalm reminds us that when we are in His presence, we should be thankful to Him who is our creator and protector. We should give praise to Him because He is good, all good, every good, and his love for us will endure forever, even when we question or reject Him.
He will continue to be faithful to us through all generations, never rejecting us, always available to us, always loyal to us, always wanting only what is truly good for us. And, when we feel lost or alone, in his faithfulness, we can always reach out to Him, and He will listen and hold us lovingly in His arms.
How reassuring it is to be reminded that our God is always fully here with us to give us comfort and to protect us from the evils and pains of the world. Admittedly, the pains may be there but, by His presence, we know that with Him we can endure all things. On the other side of that pain, we will discover a beautiful pasture where we can walk hand-in-hand with the God who loves us.
As Psalm 100 reminds us all, let us sing “joyful songs” for all that God has given us.
Let us pray:
Dear Lord,
I am so self-centered.
So often, it’s all about me, my pain, my suffering,
my tragedy, my loneliness.
And I forget that it’s not all about me
and it’s not all about my pain and suffering.
It’s about others… and it’s about You, too.
I forget all the gifts and blessings you have given me
… and continue to give me.
I have to remind myself of the beautiful world where I live
– the green grass, the blue sky,
the birds that wake me in the morning,
the rain which refreshes me,
the sun which warms me,
the gentle breeze that cools me
the foods that my earth produces,
the amazing cycle of life –
a newborn baby’s breath on my cheeks,
the beauty of a holy and peaceful death,
the wisdom I have gained through my life,
the opportunity to have lived.
Sometimes I forget that
I am an important link in earth’s history.
My contributions in the past may have been small, but they are significant.
I may have prepared meals for my children,
Or I may have cleaned the streets, or I may have worked in a factory,
Or I have been a professional, skilled worker, unskilled worker,
You have made me responsible for a small part of creation history.
No matter the size of my contribution.
It has been an important link that needed to happen.
Perhaps it was a moment when I listened
Or when I smiled to someone who needed to be acknowledged.
And my journey continues…
Help me to listen to your will
as I try to make my daily contribution to human history.
Of course, I have not been perfect, and sometimes,
I may not have given your children
the dignity they deserve.
Please forgive me
for those moments of insensitivity
and putting myself and my feelings first.
And finally, Lord, I thank you,
for all the gifts you have given me, my abilities and talents,
help me to continue to use them daily,
even if they seem insignificant to me.
Thank you for this beautiful earth,
And for the many opportunities
you have given me and continue to give me
to show appreciation of others.
As Psalm 100 reminds me, I will “shout for joy”
That you are Lord and that you have created me!
Amen.
Closing discussion questions:
- What thoughts did you have as you read the final reflection? Can you identify with some of these thoughts and explain why?
- Did the prayer mirror your thoughts at all? If so, how? If not, why not? What would you change, add or delete from the prayer?
- Does the song call out to you? How? What is it telling us?
- Share a moment of joy, when you felt that God was truly present to you. Explain your feelings.
- What are the gifts that God has given you? How have you used them? Have you used them to the best of your ability?
- What does the pasture God has prepared for you look like?
- What are you thankful for? How will this feeling of thankfulness change your tomorrow?
- What is the overall message of Psalms 100 for you?
- Reflect on the last three weeks of Bible Study. Share your spiritual and emotional journey. What questions did you have? What concerns did you address? Did you gain any insights or have questions answered?
- Closing Question: Have these three weeks of Bible Study given you any sense of wellness, a sense of hope? If so, how? If not, why not?
Closing Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJeNUlNY7Iw
In Your Time
By Maranatha!
In his time, in his time
He makes all things beautiful
In his time
Lord please show me everyday
As you’re teaching me your way
That you do just what you say
In your time
In your time, in your time
You make all things beautiful
In your time
Lord my life to you I bring
May each song I have to sing
Be to you a lovely thing
In your time
Lord please show me everyday
As you teaching me your way
That you do just what you say
In your time
In your time (in your time), in your time (in your time lord)
You make all things beautiful
In your time (in your time)
Lord my life to you I bring
May each song I have to sing
Be to you a lovely thing
In your time
Be to you a lovely thing
In your time
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Linda Ball
In His Time lyrics © Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Publ., Cccm Music
NOTE TO GROUP LEADER: At the end of the session, you may want to allow the group to have a few moments for open discussion and what the session may have meant for them.
Psalm 100
New International Version
A psalm. For giving grateful praise.
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.