Psalm 100
Gratitude and Thanksgiving
Jesus has opened the way into the Kingdom of God.
And it is an act of pure grace. It is a gift, both free and lavish. We, who are so undeserving, have a place reserved for us before the living God.
What else can we do but give thanks to the Lord?
A psalm. For giving grateful praise.
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 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.4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures for ever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
In discussion with a friend recently, he encouraged me to consider starting a gratitude journal. As I’d been spending time within God’s word, I’d been convicted of a critical spirit within myself. Instead of first seeing the good around me, I was quick to identify what was wrong. My friend thought that a gratitude journal would be a good way to counteract that impulse as it would compel me to look at my situations differently. He suggested that I write down three things I was grateful for each day.
If I were to do that after hearing this Psalm, the first two items for thanksgiving that I would record today would be clear:
We belong to God
The LORD, the one who revealed his name and purposes to Moses (see Exodus 3), is the one living and true God (v3). He has no peers or equals. He is out on his own. There is no one like him. There never has been and never will be. He is truly unique.
He alone is the Creator and we are his creation. His fingerprints are all over us. We are his handiwork. He crafted from us the dust of the earth (see Genesis 2), and formed us in his own image.
As v3 progresses, we move from the potter’s shed to the pastures of the shepherd. We belong to God, but not in the way someone owns a chair they have made. In saying we are his flock, the relationship is presented as caring and intimate. God knows us and we know his voice as the one who leads us into safety (see John 10.14-16). Jesus, God in the flesh, is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life to win and secure his sheep. To be owned and known by the Shepherd brings deep comfort to weary souls.
The Heidelberg Catechism is a series of questions and answers written to plant rich gospel truths deep in the heads and hearts of Christians. The first question asks the question, “What is your only comfort in life and death?” The answer echoes with the language of v3:
That I am not my own,
but belong—
body and soul,
in life and in death—
to my faithful Saviour, Jesus Christ.
He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,
and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.
The LORD’s love and faithfulness are unending
There wasn’t a time when God’s love was not (v5). Not when this Psalm was first penned nor when the Psalmist was first born. Not when this Psalm was first sung in Israel nor when it was last sung at Grace Church Montrose. Not when the universe first came into being or when it will be renewed in the future. God’s love is everlasting. There are no blips or dips in his love. His love always was, always is, and always will be.
God’s faithfulness is true and unerring. God’s faithfulness was just as true for Abraham as it was for Isaac. God’s faithfulness was just as true for Naomi as it was for Ruth. God’s faithfulness was just as true for David as it was for Solomon. God’s faithfulness was just as true for Elizabeth as it was for John the Baptist. God’s faithfulness is just as true for me as it is for my children. There are no blips or dips in the faithfulness of God. From one generation to the next generation to the next generation and every one after that, God’s faithfulness to his promises is certain and sure.
When Question 28 of the Heidelberg Catechism asks, “How does the knowledge of God’s creation and providence help us?”, it answers with the confidence of v5:
We can be patient when things go against us, thankful when things go well,
and for the future we can have
good confidence in our faithful God and Father
that nothing in creation will separate us from his love.
Therefore, let’s:
Shout for joy (v1)
Worship the LORD with gladness (v2)
Come before him with joyful songs (v2)
Enter his gates with thanksgiving (v4)
Enter his courts with praise (v4)
Give thanks to him (v4)
Praise his name (v4)
Glory be to God the Father, whose love endures forever and faithfulness continues through all generations.
Glory be to God the Son, the Good Shepherd who knows us and lay down his life for us.
Glory be to God the Spirit, who fills our hearts with thanksgiving.
Ever three and ever One.
Home Groups: Luke 13.22-35
How does Jesus respond to the question about how many will be saved? What is significant about the door being narrow that we must enter through? Why does Jesus say the owner doesn’t know those who knock after the door has been closed? How do the last become the first?
Why does Jesus not heed the warning of the Pharisees about King Herod? What will happen to Jesus when he goes to Jerusalem? How is that good news for us?