January 17 – Devotional

Scripture Reading: Psalm 100:1-5

Key Verses: Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name. – Psalm 100:4, NRSV

Psalm 100 is a call to praise, and these five short verses express three profound reasons to worship: God created us and sustains us, His love is forever, and His faithfulness never ends. What timeless and glorious reasons to enter into His presence with gladness and singing! Yet, we all know that sometimes it is easier to praise God than other times. When life is going well, we are happy and it seems natural to lift our voices in praise; but, during times of trouble when our hearts are heavy, it is much harder to come before the Lord with thanksgiving. Happiness is an emotion that comes and goes, but Biblical joy is a state of being that comes from knowing Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Even during difficult times, we can draw on that joy to enter God’s gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.

Pray:

• What are you thankful for when you think of our church? What do you praise God for when you think of our church?
• How does remembering God’s faithfulness to First Houston United Methodist Church for over 185 years help you to give thanks for even the difficulties we face today?

Listen: With open eyes, ears, and heart, listen for God to speak to you now and throughout the day.

Share: You can share your thoughts where you feel best. You can share your thoughts in your printed devotional booklet, you can share below in the comments, you can share a comment on our Facebook page, or you can share a comment on the First Houston United Methodist Church App by following the Daily Devotionals Channel.