Begin with two minutes of silence and stillness before God.
My seminary friend once tried to impress his girlfriend's parents by cooking them an elaborate Italian meal. He watched 17 TV cooking shows (before YouTube), spent 3 hours in the kitchen, and emerged with what can only be described as "ambitious." When her father took the first bite, he paused—an eternity compressed into three seconds—then said, "Well. This is certainly… something." They ordered pizza twenty minutes later.
That's roughly how I used to approach worship. I'd show up to church as a minister of music, thinking God needed me to perform, to produce something impressive, to earn His attention through my spiritual gymnastics. Then I encountered Psalms 99 and 100, and realized I'd been missing the entire point.
Psalm 99 hammers home one central truth: God is holy. Not holy like your grandmother's good china that sits untouched in the cabinet. Holy as in transcendent, other, set apart from everything we know. The psalm repeats it three times, just in case we're slow learners. This God makes the earth tremble, sits enthroned between the cherubim, and responds when His people call. Moses, Aaron, and Samuel knew this. They called on God, and He answered, not because they were perfect, but because He is faithful.
Then Psalm 100 bursts in like sunlight through curtains: "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth!" Here's where it gets interesting. We're not invited to cower before God's holiness or work ourselves into exhaustion trying to measure up. We're told to be glad, to serve with joy, to come into His presence with singing.
Why? "Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his."
Years ago, my son-in-law and his dad restored a 1967 Mustang. He didn't critique it for not being brand new or compare it to a Ferrari. He loved it because it was his, a project he did with his dad, an investment. He was proud of it.
God made us. We belong to Him. "We are His people, the sheep of His pasture." And unlike the Mustang, we're not restoration projects He's trying to flip for profit. We're His delight.
The holiness of God should lead us to gratitude, not guilt. His perfection doesn't highlight our failures; it frames His faithfulness. "His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations." God's standards are impossibly high, yes. But His commitment to us is even higher.
Your Turn: This week, when you catch yourself performing for God—trying to earn His approval through perfect prayers or impressive service—stop. Acknowledge His holiness, yes. Then choose gratitude. Make a list of five ways He's been faithful to you lately. Return to worship not as an audition, but as homecoming. Because you're not trying to impress the Chef. You're already invited to the table.
Take two minutes to reflect in silence.
Reflection:
Use the S.O.A.P. Method to study God's Word.
- SCRIPTURE: What stands out to you in today's passage?
- OBSERVATION: What is this text saying? What is the context? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? Are there any commands, instructions, or promises?
- APPLICATION: How can you apply this verse to your life? What does this mean today? What is God saying to you?
- PRAYER: Respond to the passage in prayer. Ask God to help you apply this truth to your life and spend some time listening to what He may be telling you.
Be Generous 2025
On Be Generous Sunday, November 30th, through Tuesday, December 2nd, 100% of all financial gifts will go toward funding three special projects to ignite ministry and lead more people to know, love, and follow Jesus! For more information, visit venturechurch.org/begenerous.