Psalm 100

Below is an example of how to study Scripture using the RAMP Method. Use it as a guide to digging deep into each passage, discovering the goodness and faithfulness of our God.

Psalm 100 | NIV:

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

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.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

RAMP: READ / ANALYZE / MEDITATE / PRAY

R: Read the Passage

Read the passage fully from start to finish without taking any notes — just read! And then … read it again. Always read the same passage at least twice (if not more) without taking any notes. Never allow yourself to read a passage just once and them jump into ‘figuring it out.’ Sit in the scriptures for a while, train your brain to read and comprehend the full message.

A: Analyze

Journal your response to these questions:

1. What does this say about God?

Are there characteristics of Him listed? Look for adjectives used about Him. Does He describe Himself? Does the writer describe Him in any way?

• The Lord is God

• He made us

• He pastors us — He is our shepherd

• He is good

• His love endures forever

• He is faithful THROUGH ALL generations

1. What does this say about you?

Are you in this passage? Does this passage talk about mankind in any way? Again, look for adjectives or statements regarding followers of Jesus.

• I can shout and worship and come to Him with joy

• I’ve been made by Him

• I am His

• I am to enter, to come to Him

• My generation is experiencing His faithfulness

2. Is there a command to follow?

Maybe or maybe not, but look closely. Do you see anything that appears to be how God intends for you to live? Ways He expects believers to interact with others? Sometimes this is very clear, and other times it may be implied. Look closely — there's almost always an expectation of God for how we can live, love or serve.

• Shout for joy!

• Worship with gladness!

• Come before Him and let Him delight in me

• Know He is God

• Enter into His PRESENCE with gratitude, praise and thanksgiving

• Praise His Name! The name that is above all names

3. Is there a sin to repent of?

Many times, this is where the Holy Spirit begins to convict YOU personally as you are reading Scripture. Once you have made it this far in each study, you have likely read this passage several times and the Holy Spirit has begun working in your heart. Have you ever wondered how you are supposed to hear from God through His word? Well, here it is. Even if the passage does not clearly state a sin to avoid, what is the Spirit convicting you of at this moment?

• I oftentimes enter worship and His presence begrudgingly, not joyfully. Entering His presence feels like a chore sometimes. Why? Is it a pride issue? Do I feel as if I have more exciting or purposeful things to be doing? Entering into His presence is not like entering into a social gathering. I know this, but I often shy away from entering His presence with joy because I feel like it will require a lot of social energy from me that I don’t have. I need to remember that His presence is filled with rest, not obligation.

• So many times I enter worship out of duty instead of delight. God, forgive me for viewing time with you as something I must do in order to achieve your approval. I know this is not true. Forgive me.

• Do I always believe He is good? Sometimes, but not always.

• Is gladness the reason I worship? Maybe I have this all wrong. I am glad, therefore my heart responds in worship. His gladness is greater than mine, so I will take on His gladness and my soul will rejoice in worship to my God.

4. Is there a promise to claim?

All throughout scripture, God gives us promises — promises of Himself, His perfect plans for us, His love for us, His eternal grip on us and so much more. Like the conviction, this is not always black-and-white. On the heels of any conviction, is there a promise?

• v. 3: We are His! The sheep of His pasture. He loves and guides and protects me.

• v. 5: The Lord is good. His love endures forever. His faithfulness continues through all generations.

M: Meditate

This is where you can just sit back and think. Wow, what all did God say to you? Is your mind going in a million different directions, connecting dots and seeing how big and good God is? Great! Sit here for a second, journal about where your mind is going. And be thankful you just had an encounter with a holy God through His holy word.

I want gladness to be the natural stance of my heart. And when I am anything other than glad, I want the thought of Him to bring gladness. Gladness doesn’t always have to be loud or appear like a show, gladness is a stance of the heart. A posture for my soul. To be filled with gladness can look very peaceful, content. I can decide to be a lot of things, but I’m not sure I can decide to be glad — where does gladness come from?

If God commands gladness, it must be possible through His Spirit and it must be found in His presence.

God is my Shepherd, my Greater, my God! What does this mean for me? Does knowing and believing this about God cause me to enter His presence at all? If so, do I keep it in mind and enter with joy?

How does knowing God is my Shepherd change the way I enter into His presence?

It should allow me to enter:

• With confidence

• With humility

• With gladness

• With security

• With trust

• Boldly — because I can be there, I have access as a child of the King

• In rest

If the promise is true about all generations, then:

• Do I see it?

• Am I looking for it among my generations? The generations above and below?

• Am I proclaiming it and believing it?

I am included in that promise. His faithfulness TO ME is His faithfulness THROUGH ME.

Why do these commands feel heavier to me than others? Commands that engage my feelings make me feel vulnerable, but if I believe God is the God of all of me, and I desire to love Him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, then I can trust Him with my feelings. And I can ask Him to allow me to feel as I worship Him.

P: Pray

Take the notes you've made and pray them. Yep, pray your notes back to God. Start with what you saw about Him — tell Him who He revealed Himself to be in that passage. Ask Him to forgive you of any sin revealed through conviction. Thank Him for the promises you found.

• God, I know you are God and you are good. You are the good shepherd who loves and guides and protects. Thank you for being this to me.

• Your love and faithfulness blows me away. I don’t understand it fully and I can’t comprehend it. But I am grateful for it. Let my life reflect your love and faithfulness.

• Help me believe that entering your presence is the best place I can go. And when I am there, bring rest to my soul.

• Grow gladness in my heart that only comes from you.

• I praise you, God! For your name is the name above all others.

• Forgive me for entering your presence out of duty instead of delight. You delight in me. I delight in you. My delight for you should be rooted in your delight for me. You always go first. Thank you.

• I see your faithfulness among the generations. Don’t let it stop with me / my generation. Use me to show your faithfulness to those coming behind me.

Psalm 100 | The Message:

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.