Comfort and Gratitude

The devotional I read this morning included the scriptures from Psalm 100:1-5. It has the verse many of us know..."enter his gates with Thanksgiving, and his courts with praise, give thanks and praise his name." But the verse before that really struck me and it was one of those "I don't even remember ever reading that" moments. It says this:

"Know that the Lord is God, it is he who made us, and we are his, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture."(Ps. 100:3)

I read an article last night about Christmas shopping trends. Last year, it was all about the insta-pot. This year, everyone is clamoring for the gift of "cozy." People are googling "comfy sweatshirt," "cozy, soft blanket," "fleece-lined jacket," and something called an "angel coat." 

The world is chaotic right now (if you haven't noticed). The big, wide world is full of raging fires, senseless gun violence, wars, famine, human trafficking, hateful and graceless politics, and internet trolls who crush souls and build up walls, just to pick a few examples. Our small, personal worlds can be chaotic, painful, uncertain too. Insert -- marriage struggles, uncomfortable family dynamics, money trouble, unruly kids, illness, death and loss, other challenges --here.  

People are yearning for cozy. For comfort. Something to soothe and to calm.  Maybe if we can cuddle on the couch near the fire under a soft, shirpa lined blankie, the trials of this world will still, just for a moment. And they might. And they do sometimes. 

For me, the morning reminder that the God I serve has it all under control, and that I am his, brings comfort and immense gratitude. The comparison of God's people to the "sheep of his pasture" is well known to many believers, but it is a powerful reminder on Thanksgiving Day. We are cherished. We are protected, we are led. 

Even for those who have wandered away, the Bible says that God leaves the 99 to seek out that one. I recall the moments, and seasons in my life when I knew I had wandered, and I acutely felt God's pursuit of me and his love. It's humbling to think of those days and I'm so thankful for them. 

I'm of course thankful for the things you'd expect someone to be thankful for today (so long as they're true). Marriage to a guy I love and who loves me. Kids, family, food to eat and a roof over our heads. I have a job I enjoy and believe in. We have good coffee every morning. :) 

But one thing I can be truly thankful for today, that is true whatever our circumstances, is this..I can "know that the Lord is God, it is he who made us, and we are his, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture."