Thursday Psalms: The Lord Is Good!

 

You might be thinking the psalmist who wrote Psalm 100 was just having a really good day, or perhaps just ignoring the world around him.  At first glance, you might say "He doesn't live in my world!"  

Psalm 100     A Psalm for giving thanks.

¹ Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

² Serve the Lord with gladness!

   Come into His presence with singing!

³ Know that the Lord, He is God!

   It is He who made us, and we are His;

      we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

⁴ Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise!

   Give thanks to Him; bless His name!

⁵ For the Lord is good;

   His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations. 

From where does all this happiness come?  Look at verse three, which simply and clearly points us to the Lord.   This verse contains the foundation of the faith the Lord has given to you or wants to give to you.  He is God!  The Lord, is not a god, not one of many gods, but the Lord is God, the only one, true God.   It is He who made us, along with all things in this world and in the entire universe and any other possible universes around us!  He is Creator of all things; by definition and by His creation, we are His.  We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.  God named you and claimed you in your baptism, where He gave you faith to believe in Jesus, your Savior.  And as God's created & claimed people, God provides for us all that we need to support our bodies and lives.  

Of course, Satan the great deceiver and destroyer works quite successfully to take away our joyful gladness, singing, thanksgiving, praising and blessing.  He and his minions in the culture around us scream loudly lies like these:  

     God is no god, He is a made-up character.  

     God did not create us; our complex bodies and the world around us just evolved.

     You are your own person, and nobody else can claim you or tell you who you are.

     God neither provides for us nor shepherds us; we should look to ourselves, 

        the government or whoever we choose to give us what we want.

These lies only produce corruption and death, trying to separate us from the one true God.  They deny what the Lord God does, that He loves you, He has saved you from Satan and all your sins, and He has prepared a mansion for you in heaven where you will stay with Him forever.  

So today and each day of the coming week, I commend you to sing/pray/meditate on Psalm 100, and give thanks to God, always remembering:

   Know that the Lord, He is God! 

   It is He who made us, and we are His; 

      we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188 

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

     Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website       Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, 

   a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Pilgrim Worship Sunday July 27, 2025

 

Abraham and the Three Angels   Bartolomé Esteban Murillo   1670-1674

Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

July 27, 2025

We're thankful you've come here to watch our service and to worship the one true God!

This was another exciting Sunday at Pilgrim Lutheran Church!  We're now in our Summer Schedule starting with our 9:30 am Worship service.  Afterward, we gathered for food and conversations, while the children enjoyed Sunday School.  These classes are full of activities and teaching, so the children learn how much God loves them!

If you live in the Burton area, please consider joining us on Sunday mornings!  Anyone can watch our services live on Facebook or on Pilgrim's website.

Here is information about this worship service:

SCRIPTURE READINGS

   Old Testament:  Genesis 18:17-33

                Psalm:   Psalm 138

               Epistle:   Colossians 2:6-15

               Gospel:   Luke 11:1-13

THEME FOR WORSHIP

God’s wonderful gift of calling to Him in prayer is the focus of our worship today.  You’ll see this in today’s Gospel, Psalm, Introit and Collect prayer.  Today’s Old Testament is a continuation from last week when God visited Abraham and left his family with the promise of a son.  The conversation Abraham had with the angels now turns into a discussion with God about prayer.  

What first appears to be Abraham haggling with God is actually the act of praying.  It is a strange text to say the least.

To watch the video of today's service, please click HERE.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188   

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

       Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website           Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, 

    a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Thursday Psalms: Gods Purpose for You

  

This week's Psalm is a delightful song of thankfulness and praise for all things the Lord gives to you & me!

Psalm 138

¹ I give You thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;

      before the gods I sing Your praise;

² I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name

      for Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness,

      for You have exalted above all things Your name and Your word.

³ On the day I called, You answered me;

      my strength of soul You increased.

⁴ All the kings of the earth shall give You thanks, O Lord,

      for they have heard the words of Your mouth,

⁵ and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,

      for great is the glory of the Lord.

⁶ For though the Lord is high, He regards the lowly,

      but the haughty He knows from afar.

⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life;

      You stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,

          and Your right hand delivers me.

⁸ The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me;

      Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.

          Do not forsake the work of Your hands.

Notice the final three verses, which really summarize the loving relationship God gives to you and to me.  David observes what is undeniably true:  the Lord, the Creator of all things, the One who is "higher" above and over all things, "regards the lowly".  That's you and me!  The God of the universe loves you, and cares for you, and provides all things for you!  How awesome is that?

Today, I'd like to focus on the last verse, especially the first clause:  The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.  What a trusting statement!  As you wander about your life, crashing & bumping into troubles and crises and things we can't explain, this promise keeps you focused on God.  In all things, God leads you according to His purpose, which matters here and eternally.  Why?  Because God's love for you is steadfast, unchanging, constant and yes, it endures forever!

Thank You, O Lord for this psalm, and for how You wonderfully regard us, in Your love and mercy!  Teach me to trust in You to fulfill Your purpose for me."  AMEN

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188 

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

     Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website       Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, 

   a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9