Strum those strings

On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. Know this: God is God, and God, God. He made us; we didn’t make him. We’re his people, his well-tended sheep. Enter with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever. (Psalm 100)

I have a 'password keeper vault' in order to keep track of all the passwords I use - how about you? There is on password that I will never need to enter into that vault, though - the one that gives me access to the presence of God! Saying 'yes' to Jesus opened the access - grateful heart expressing all manner of praise and worship gives me freedom to enter into his presence time and time again.

Well-tended sheep - doesn't that conjure up a great picture? I walk through some small 'white fence farms' around me and there is this one place that uses sheep to 'tend' the yard. He places a few in a square enclosure on wheels and then moves it around and around the yard until that large piece of property is 'mowed' by his 'natural lawnmowers'. Yesterday, on sheep stood there just bellowing - no other sheep in the pen, so not sure if he was lonely, needed the pen moved to a 'greener spot', or just saw us and wanted to make himself known. He tends those sheep well, but I am sure we are much better attended!

The pen usually has a couple of sheep and even a lamb or two in the lambing season. Not sure why the solitary sheep stood there that day - perhaps the grass wasn't long enough to support more than one. That sheep wasn't happy and it was letting us know. I think the grass looked greener somewhere else and that is why it was making all that racket. Isn't it so like us to make a bit of a racket whenever we think the grass isn't as green as we want it? We 'bellow' for a bit of movement, feeling trapped in our present circumstances and like no one is aware of us. All the while, God is just waiting for us to get content where we are, calling out in praise and thanksgiving rather than discontent and grumpiness!

God can be counted on - even when we feel a little 'penned in'. He can be trusted to know the bigger plan - moving us when the time is just right. Choose joy rather than discontent. Open you lips and begin to praise instead of bemoaning the fact you aren't where you want to be. You could just be surprised by how quickly God comes when those gratitude words strum the strings of his heart! Just sayin!