Dissociative amnesia is a rare condition in which people cannot remember basic information about themselves— their name, relationships, or personal history. While this condition is rare, it is more common for us to forget basic truths about our relationship with God.

Psalm 100 is a praise psalm. At the heart of this poem are some important reminders for us if we have developed any spiritual amnesia. The psalmist challenges the congregation: “Know that the LORD is God” (v. 3). The word “LORD” here is the personal name, “Yahweh.” We need to remember and acknowledge that there is a God. This God has a name and an identity. Yahweh is the God who created the universe, who covenanted with Abraham, who delivered Israel from Egypt, and who sent His Son to die for our sin. We do not worship a nameless, generic deity, but a God who has made Himself known.

The psalmist reminds us: “It is he who made us, and we are his” (v. 3). Yahweh is not only the Creator of the universe, but He also fashioned each one of us (Ps. 139:13). We have an identity that is secure. We have been created by a loving God and we belong to Him. That is a status that we cannot earn, it is received by faith.

The final reminder in this verse is that “we are his people, the sheep of his pasture” (v. 3). God has called us into community. God has a relationship with His people. We were never meant to live the life of faith alone—just me and God. All through Scripture, God has given His people a group identity to be a part of—Israel and the church.

These are wonderful reasons to worship the Lord. We can join with God’s people all through history and confess, “For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (v. 5).

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