Tag: Thanksgiving

I am completely sure, I will see God’s goodness in the exuberant earth. Stay with God! Take my heart. Do not quit. I now say it again: I’ll stay with God . Psalm 27

Psalm 27 New American Standard Bible

A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.

A Psalm of David.

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom should I fear?
The Lord is the [a]defense of my life;
Whom should I dread?
2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
3 If an army encamps against me,
My heart will not fear;
If war arises against me,
In spite of this I am confident.

4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold the [b]beauty of the Lord
And to [c]meditate in His temple.
5 For on the day of trouble He will conceal me in His [d]tabernacle;
He will hide me in the secret place of His tent;
He will lift me up on a rock.
6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer sacrifices in His tent [e]with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

7 Hear, Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and answer me.
8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“I shall seek Your face, Lord.”
9 Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not abandon me nor forsake me,
God of my salvation!
10 [f]For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
But the Lord will take me up.

11 Teach me Your way, Lord,
And lead me on a level path
Because of my enemies.
12 Do not turn me over to the [g]desire of my enemies,
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And the violent witness.
13 I certainly believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Cultivating a Heart of Gratitude Even in Uncertainty

Thanksgiving is right around the corner.

It’s always been a favorite holiday of mine.

Family, friends, pie, and pure gratitude for all God has done over the past year.

But this year might be a bit different. Right?

Depending on where you live, there may be financial restraints from the recent 43 day government shutdown, limiting health concerns, weather restrictions.

Depending on current circumstances, what losses you’ve experienced recently, you may not be feeling very motivated or thankful for the blessings, memories. 

How do we cultivate a heart of gratitude in the face of loss and uncertainty?

The Psalmist, David, wrote, “Seven times a day I praise you…Great peace have those who love your law and nothing can make them stumble” (Psalm 119:164-165). 

I’ve been meditating on his words all week.

What’s striking about this passage is that David lived a very uncertain life.

Anointed to be King as a teenager, he waited a long time for the fulfillment of that promise.

At least 15 years or more.

During that time Saul hunted him and tried to kill him many times.

David lived with continual uncertainty even after he became King because there was always an enemy threatening Israel.

Yet, David writes, seven times a day He praised and thanked God.

I believe David’s passionate praise was the key to his resiliency.

I also happen to believe that it is the key to our resiliency. 

When we choose to give thanks to God – even when we don’t feel like shouting, “Hallelujah” – God is pleased.

How do we do this in light of all the uncertainty surrounding us?  

Set an alarm on your phone. 

Develop regular rhythms of praise and giving thanks.

A little discipline will help.

Is it hypocritical to praise God for who He is when everything in your life is falling apart?

No. It’s called a sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15-16).

Use the alarm on your phone or ask Siri or Alexa to remind you.

Seven times a day, stop.

Pause, give thanks to God for either an attribute of His or a blessing in your life.

By reminding your brain of the good and holy character of God, you train your brain towards peace.

Create a list of the attributes of God and keep them handy.

Stop whatever you’re working on 7 times a day for a few seconds and praise God for His character.

I bet if you did this for a month, you would begin to experience more joy and more peace than you ever thought possible.

Try it. I dare you!

Thank and praise Him for simple gifts.

You can thank Him for simple things: “Lord, I thank You for the beauty of the blue sky. I thank You for the cup of hot coffee. I thank you for the beauty of the snow on the mountain peaks out my window.  I thank you for the joy of clean water to drink.”

Make it a habit to thank God for everything!

This is what Paul meant in I Thessalonians 5:18 when he wrote, “Give thanks in all circumstances.”

This is the hardest part … No matter how dark the circumstances of our lives.

No matter what we are grieving, we can cultivate the habit of giving God thanks for every gift, whether small or great. 

Find the blessing of each day. 

Think of it as a treasure hunt.

Every single day of your life holds a treasure chest of blessings.

It’s a gift to be alive and to be able to know God.

So teach yourself to pause, look for, give thanks for the blessings of each day. 

Every evening at dinner, I reflect back on the day and write down in a journal three blessings of the day. Even in seasons of great pain, finding the blessings of each day has helped, will help, us rediscover just how wonderful life can be.

Friend, this will likely be a different Thanksgiving for many of us.

You might be grieving losses that are deep and dark.

Find the courage to stop and praise God 7 times a day, give Him thanks for even the simple joys of life and learn to find the blessings of each day.

I guarantee you’ll live a more joy-filled and peaceful life. 

While Thanksgiving Day is special, for the Christian it is only a starting point.

Thanks/living is so much grander.

“Thanksgiving really should be thanks living—a way of life—morning, noon and night—continually, forever giving our very highest thanks to the Lord.”

It’s a lifestyle, showing gratitude in action, every day and at all times.

Thanks living begins in the mind, filters through our attitudes and plays out in our actions.

I believe there are many ways we can build on Thanksgiving Day to cultivate God-honoring Thanks living.

1. The Foundation of Thanks living

Jesus is the foundation of a life of thanksgiving.

Our gratitude is rooted in Him—including all we have and who we are because of His sacrificial work in us.

Our foundation must be in the Lord, seeking Him and His righteousness first.

Lack of gratitude was evidenced in mankind’s initial disobedience and continues today in all who rebel against God.

Gratitude is a response to the great mercy we’ve been shown.

People may or may not express gratitude as a result of common grace. 

Only one of the 10 lepers Jesus healed returned to thank Him.

But “A thankful heart,” John MacArthur says,

“is one of the primary identifying characteristics of a believer. … No matter how choppy the seas may become, a believer’s heart is buoyed by our constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord.”

Thankfulness is, in fact, a command for the Christ-follower,

“God has commanded it—for our good and for His glory. God’s command to be thankful is not the threatening demand of a tyrant. Rather, it is the invitation of a lifetime—the opportunity to draw near to Him at any moment of the day.”

And that is Thanks living.

2. The Framework for Thanks living

Our habit of gratitude forms the framework for thanksliving.

Authentic gratitude builds on the foundation of Christ.

We receive all things from His hand.

We must learn from the Israelites whose gratitude was wavering and conditional—thankful when God delivered them, but murmuring when He didn’t.

Grace rather teaches us to actively pursue and practice gratitude.

We count our past and present blessings and are receptive to what God is doing in and through our lives in the present.

We are grateful not only for what we have and can do, but also for so many things did not touch our lives in a negative way—burdens, hurts and troubles.

And with maturity, we will even learn to be grateful for the trials, knowing  Romans 8:28 is true: “… all things work together for good….”

“No matter what our circumstances,”

Dr. David Jeremiah said, “we can find a reason to be thankful.”

J. I. Packer says much the same: “The habit of celebrating the greatness and graciousness of God yields an endless flow of thankfulness, joy and zeal.”

Gratitude comes hard in our entitlement culture; we often have an ungrateful mindset. But we must teach our souls the truth, and choose thanksliving.

“Gratitude is a decision of the will,” Pastor Chuck Swindoll said. “Deciding to be thankful is no easy task. It takes work.”

We must learn to desire the Giver more than His gifts, and thank Him for His steadfast love and goodness. He is a “good, good Father,” and our first daily habit should be thanking Him for the small things, the simple pleasures.

3. The Focus of Thanks living

In a culture of “more,” there’s a lot of whining and grumbling; we’re not happy with our many blessings, and focus instead of our losses and lack.

We dwell on what is difficult or inconvenient and take things for granted.

But like Paul, we can learn to be content, and that is the focus of Thanks living.

“It is not how much we have,” Charles Spurgeon said, “but how much we enjoy that makes happiness.”

Spurgeon also reminds us, “God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.”

Most Christ-followers need an attitude check.

“God has promised to supply all our needs,” Elizabeth Elliot said. “What we don’t have now, we don’t need now.”

People want food, a job, education, medical care, peace, and freedom—and I have all of these. How can I be discontent? How can I not express gratitude?

How can anyone not say “thank you, God” from the first moment they wake up?

In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit

Praying …

Psalm 100 New American Standard Bible

All People Exhorted to Praise God.

A Psalm for [a]Thanksgiving.

100 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Serve the Lord with jubilation;
Come before Him with rejoicing.
3 Know that the Lord [b]Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and [c]not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter His gates with [d]thanksgiving,
And His courtyards with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting
And His faithfulness is to all generations.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com/

A Thanksgiving with a real Flourish; Enter His gates with thanksgiving, enter His courtyards with praise; give thanks to Him, bless His Holy name. Psalm 100

Psalm 100 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 100

A Psalm of praise.

1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness:
come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the Lord he is God:
it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise:
be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting;
and his truth endureth to all generations.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Just a few small, exceedingly simple, uncomplicated commands …

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord.

Serve the Lord with Gladness.

Come before His Presence with singing.

Know ye that the Lord He is God.

Enter into His gates with Thanksgiving.

Enter into His Courts with Praise.

Be thankful unto Him.

Bless His Name.

WHY?

it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting;
and his truth endureth to all generations.

Do we need anymore a better reason to ….

Not just today because it is Thanksgiving and we get to get together with our families and friends, with our church communities; go into the streets, into the homeless shelters serve those who have little to nothing in God’s Kingdom with an abundance of food, clothing, shelter, donated from our own abundance, to sit with them, eat with them, drink with them, talk with them, share a feast of plenty GOD fit for egregious sinners like us, perhaps even watch some football or some other favorite sport, or plan for a calm wild black Friday shopping blitz.

To just read and share the Word of God …

To have some time of personal and group reflection … why do I say “Thanks be to God” anyway? followed by a blessed opportunity to pray with high gratitude!

To sing with whatever great cacophony of noise our thankful hearts can muster;

Give thanks with a grateful heart,
give thanks to the Holy One;
give thanks, because he’s given
Jesus Christ, his Son.
Give thanks with a grateful heart,
give thanks to the Holy One;
give thanks, because he’s given
Jesus Christ, his Son.

And now let the weak say ‘I am strong’,
let the poor say ‘I am rich’,
because of what the Lord has done for us;
and now let the weak say ‘I am strong’,
let the poor say ‘I am rich’,
because of what the Lord has done for us.
Give thanks…

Author

Henry Smith *© Copyright 1978 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music

A Call to Thanksgiving

Psalm 100 Easy-to-Read Version

A song of thanks.

100 Earth, sing to the Lord!
2 Be happy as you serve the Lord!
    Come before him with happy songs!
3 Know that the Lord is God.
    He made us, and we belong to him.
    We are his people, the sheep he takes care of.
4 Come through the gates to his Temple giving thanks to him.
    Enter his courtyards with songs of praise.
    Honor him and bless his name.
5 The Lord is good!
    There is no end to his faithful love.
    We can trust him forever and ever!

Find it from some place deep in your soul to Sing … Thanks Be to God …

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! … Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!

Leave ‘somber’ behind…place God at the center, the forefront of your thoughts.

What do we have to lose but … sadness, tears, grief, anger, misery, loneliness?

What do we have to gain?

1 Corinthians 13 Easy-to-Read Version

Let Love Be Your Guide

13 I may speak in different languages, whether human or even of angels. But if I don’t have love, I am only a noisy bell or a ringing cymbal. 2 I may have the gift of prophecy, I may understand all secrets and know everything there is to know, and I may have faith so great that I can move mountains. But even with all this, if I don’t have love, I am nothing. 3 I may give away everything I have to help others, and I may even give my body as an offering to be burned. But I gain nothing by doing all this if I don’t have love.

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. 5 Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. 6 Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. 7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.

8 Love will never end. But all those gifts will come to an end—even the gift of prophecy, the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages, and the gift of knowledge. 9 These will all end because this knowledge and these prophecies we have are not complete. 10 But when perfection comes, the things that are not complete will end.

11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, and I made plans like a child. When I became a man, I stopped those childish ways. 12 It is the same with us. Now we see God as if we are looking at a reflection in a mirror. But then, in the future, we will see him right before our eyes. Now I know only a part, but at that time I will know fully, as God has known me. 13 So these three things continue: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.

Loving one another isn’t a simple one to five minute matter of warm, fuzzy feelings and weak knees and pounding hearts. It’s a matter of doing the right thing because that’s what Jesus would do and did. Sometimes it can even bring unpleasant results for us. Hardcore loving often calls for doing the unexpected.

As followers of Jesus, we know that love is not something we can just opt to do or not do. It’s a command from our Master, whose life showed us how to love.

If we’re ever asked why we are show­ing love, we can answer, “Because we’re disciples of someone who loves us. We do it for Jesus’ sake.”

What’s more, we can show love only by the ­power of Holy Spirit working in us.

Then we’re able, like the twelve apostles, to witness, testify to, we’re serving Christ by loving the people we interact with and serve (Matthew 14:13-21).

Loving “one another” is often challenging.

It may call us to love the strong-willed child or an aging parent or spouse angry with dementia.

At home or church it may involve loving someone who is always negative and critical.

At work it may be the coworker claiming to be indispensable while barely doing their job.

It may mean foregoing a new coat so that someone else can have one.

The “other” in our lives could be some­one we don’t even know but who comes to love Jesus because of something we did.

To whom will you show gratitude and thankfulness of Jesus’ love today?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 16 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 16

Michtam of David.

1 Preserve me, O God:
for in thee do I put my trust.
2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord,
Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;
3 but to the saints that are in the earth,
and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.
4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god:
their drink offerings of blood will I not offer,
nor take up their names into my lips.
5 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup:
thou maintainest my lot.
6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places;
yea, I have a goodly heritage.

7 I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel:
my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the Lord always before me:
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth:
my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell;
neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life:
in thy presence is fulness of joy;
at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com/

Just some Biblical thoughts about our bonding with our families, friends, at times bonding isn’t our first thought neither Thanksgiving nor Christmas. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18Amplified Bible

16 Rejoice always and delight in your faith; 17 be unceasing and persistent in prayer; 18 in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Happiness(?!?) of the United Family

One of the greatest blessings we have is our family. A happy marriage is worth more than any fortune; a united family is worth more than any wealth. A family that honors God is a valuable testimony to the richness of God’s blessing in life.

A family dedicated to serving the Lord and is devoted to each other in all things and at all times and during all seasons and under all circumstances, is a family that at all times, during all seasons, under all circumstances knows happiness.

The husband who fears the Lord and wants to live God’s way works with all his energy for a safe and well behaved godly home for all of his family members.

He loves his wife “just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25); he is united to and faithful to his wife, who is “like a fruitful vine.” They love, respect, show open affection and care for one another too.

And if they are blessed with children, their children are “like olive shoots,” fruitful in bringing more blessing into their lives. Godly parents teach their children in the ways of the Lord so that they may be blessed all the days of their lives. Mothers and fathers are not antagonizing nor provoking their children.

And if God wills it, as long as he tarries, they may live to see their children’s children, receiving even more abundant blessings and joys from God’s hand.

With blessing the Lord brings prosperity, peace, and joy to families who seek to honor him. Coming together as a family is a wondrous time of faith, fellowship.

When you each honor God in your home, you will always have him as an ally.

The Word of God for the Children of God, for the Body of Christ, our own church family and our neighbors is neatly set before each one of us on our meal tables.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Amplified Bible

16 Rejoice always and delight in your faith; 17 be unceasing and persistent in prayer; 18 in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

But we know that in the Kingdom of God, not all is always going so “ideally.”

Grateful When You Aren’t Where You Want to Be …

November and December are months we see lots of pictures and quotes and Bible verses about thanksgiving appearing all across social media platforms.

But for all too many years my heart on those November and December days and nights in the dark, emptiness and quiet of my apartment and currently my own home would 100% suffer mightily to be acknowledged, recognized as thankful.  

This wasn’t how life was supposed to go. I wasn’t at all where I wanted to be.

For years I struggled with giving thanks. Family tragedies occurring in too close a proximity. My heart wanted to praise and be joyful in these circumstances, but I knew that I wasn’t happy with where God was leading our family at the time.

In fact, it felt like God wasn’t leading us at all. The quietness and the lack of direction from God was disheartening, further magnifying my thanklessness.

In my head I “knew” God had not left me, and this was part of His perfect plan. I even told people that I was thankful just to be “home.” But deep down I wasn’t.

One day, I read those verses in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

“16 Be rejoicing always, 17 be praying unceasingly, 18 be giving-thanks in everything. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.“

Paul was writing to the church in Thessalonica.

If you were to read Acts 17, you would see the hostile environment in which this church was founded.

Their circumstances hadn’t much improved since Paul had left them.

Maybe some of the believers felt like I did.

Maybe they thought to themselves, “I don’t really like it here… this isn’t where I thought I would be.”

In the middle of those hard situations, Paul writes and tells the believers always to give thanks. Not only just a general “Hi, give thanks”-but a specific covenant call to give thanks in all circumstances. 

Even the hard, harder and hardest ones.

Paul tells the church to give thanks because first this is the will of God.

We give thanks because God commands it. We don’t have to feel joyful when we do, but we can rejoice in God despite how we feel. Paul also tells the church to “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Prayer has a way of aligning our hearts, connecting our minds to the truth of who God is, His plan for our lives.

Prayer connects us to God and that is a great reason to give thanks.

In verse twenty-four of that chapter, Paul says, “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

Paul also says something similar in Philippians 1:6. He says,

“And I am sure of this, that he (meaning God) who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

God will work out our lives according to His plan.

Those plans include His glory and our good. 

Romans 8:28-29 tells us this. Paul tells the Romans that they can trust that all things are for their good, which is to be conformed into the image of Christ.

The truth is God is always working and we can give thanks that He never leaves us. We can come to Him in prayer, and He is shaping us to be more like Christ.

Although the circumstances might not be good, we can give thanks to a God who has a purpose even when we find ourselves in a place we don’t want to be.

Today, I have come to the Throne of God to thank God for changing my plans.

These truths from the Bible help me give thanks.

I’ve been told by God to give thanks, that God has a definite direction, purpose, for my life, God will never leave me nor misguide me.  I have learned that being grateful isn’t about our surroundings, but about the God who surrounds us all.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Paul also talks about giving thanks in Philippians 4:6. It says,

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

How are we to not be anxious?

The answer is prayer.

Two types of prayer are mentioned here in Philippians 4.

The first is supplications. These are the prayers we pray on behalf of others and for ourselves. They are the prayers we pray when asking God to meet our needs.

Maybe you are not in a place you want to be, so ask God to change things.

Who better to ask to intervene in a bad situation than God Himself?

After asking God to help you, the next phrase says, “with thanksgiving…”.

As we ask God to help us we also give thanks.

This is the second type of prayer. If you are struggling to give thanks, look up the additional scriptures and find reasons even today to give thanks to God!

What about your current situation feels less than joyful?

How has God shown up in your life recently?

Take your cares and concerns to God, thanking Him for being with you.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving casting your burdens and cares upon the Lord!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 84 English Standard Version

My Soul Longs for the Courts of the Lord

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith.[a] A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

84 How lovely is your dwelling place,
    O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longs, yes, faints
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
    to the living God.

3 Even the sparrow finds a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
    my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
    ever singing your praise! Selah

5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    in whose heart are the highways to Zion.[b]
6 As they go through the Valley of Baca
    they make it a place of springs;
    the early rain also covers it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength;
    each one appears before God in Zion.

8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
    give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
9 Behold our shield, O God;
    look on the face of your anointed!

10 For a day in your courts is better
    than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
    the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
    from those who walk uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts,
    blessed is the one who trusts in you!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com/

Happy Thanksgiving! Covering God and Each Other With Love and Grace!

United States President George Washington’s Thanksgiving Day Proclamation: https://www.mountvernon.org/education/primary-sources-2/article/thanksgiving-proclamation-of-1789/

Psalm 100 The Message

100 1-2 On your feet now—applaud God!
    Bring a gift of laughter,
    sing yourselves into his presence.

3 Know this: God is God, and God, God.
    He made us; we didn’t make him.
    We’re his people, his well-tended sheep.

4 Enter with the password: “Thank you!”
    Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
    Thank him. Worship him.

5 For God is sheer beauty,
    all-generous in love,
    loyal always and ever.

The Word of God for the Children of God. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

Psalm 100 is a climactic “mountain top” expression of thanksgiving. David tells us to acknowledge that ONLY the Lord is our God. How ought we do that? We acknowledge him when we shout and sing our praises, appreciate his status as our creator, accept his authority in every detail of life, enthusiastically agree with the guidance he gives us, and express our thanks for his unfailing love.

God created us; we did not create ourselves. Many people live as though they are the creator and center of their own little world. They believe they choose their own lifestyles, determine their own boundaries, and decide their own values.

This mind-set leads to pride, self-glorification, greed, and idolatry. But if everything were taken away, they would lose hope itself. When we realize that God created us and gives us all we have, we will want to give to others as God has given to us. Then, even if all is lost, we still have God and all he provides.

God created us, we belong to him. We find joy and hope in the relationship because the Creator God is our good, loving Shepherd. God by creating the world, established his power and authority to rule it. This calls for our praise.

God is the Creator who spoke our world into existence. He has total control over the chaotic waters out of which he called forth the land – heights and depths – land and sea. Thus he rules all, and we respond naturally in humble yet raucous worship. We need not create any reason or rationale for fear from any part of his creation. We need only fear the Lord God, that is, revere and worship him.

We have to worship God as a Church — God’s Family and Community – God’s people have abundant reasons to praise him. This verse 3 gives three reasons.

1. The Lord is God. He alone created the universe and is, therefore, Lord of creation.

2. God made us in his image. In His Image He Created Us! We are not our own creators, makers, shapers or shakers. We are not the potter, we’re but the clay.

3. God shepherds his people. He is involved intimately in the lives of his people. God’s people are thus a worshiping, praising and thanksgiving community.

Thanksgiving — Thanksgiving is a vital part of the community’s coming together in God’s house for worship. We should enter his presence with thanksgiving reverence and submission. The call to worship of Psalm 100 is a vital prayer in the congregation’s corporate worship. It calls for worship and obedience. Its speech to the congregation is at the same time prayer to God.

Praise — God’s word, God’s character, God’s creation, and God’s rule are compelling reasons to join the congregation in thanksgiving and praise. Music and singing are poetic ways to praise God. God’s unfailing covenant love is the overriding basis for all human praise. Praise includes a call to the congregation and community to join in praise for God’s creation, His mercy and faithfulness.

Faithfulness — God’s faithfulness is more than an abstract characteristic. Faithfulness finds its truest expression in action. God’s acts have a purpose. They carry out his dependable promises. God is not fickle. His good, loving faithfulness and Sovereignty remains the same forever. We can count on him.

Sovereignty — The sovereignty of God, his authority and power to rule over the world and achieve his purposes. He accomplishes his own plans for his creation. His sovereignty thus leads to salvation that he offers to his people.

Salvation — Blessing – God blesses the nation who owns him as Lord. This is his eternal plan to which he steadfastly commits himself. It means God’s basic work is to save a people for fellowship and worship with him. (Psalm 33:10-12)

Fellowship — Relationship to God – God, the Creator, is sovereign over all his creation, including every human. Any creature, whether great or small, is ultimately subservient to the Creator. Most remarkably, the sovereign God is defined by Love and Grace, Mercy and Forgiveness, so he uses his sovereign knowledge and power for our good. He delivers us from sin, evil, and from all threatening forces, and allow us to be covered by his salvation and Justice.

Justice — God’s righteousness and justice are closely related ideas. His justice grows out of his righteousness. God’s strongest positive feeling, his love, goes out to everything which establishes what is right and just in this world.

Grace and Love — God’s grace and love are basic to his character. No conflict exists between his love and righteousness in verse 5, they are virtually used as synonyms. Righteousness is the ultimate goal he loves to achieve in his world. His truest love is the goal his people seek justice, peace and joy in their distress.

The goal of society should be establishing right and justice because God loves and embodies these characteristics. The believer, in praise and worship, sees evidence of these divine qualities filling our world. God alone is worthy of being worshiped. What is your attitude toward worship? Do we gracefully, willingly, joyfully come into God’s presence, or are we just going through the motions, reluctantly whispering “thanks”? Has a recent disagreement left us fuming?

Doesn’t matter! Whatever circumstances we are facing in this moment or during this pandemic. Remember! this psalm 100 tells us to lay aside the cares of “normal” life and remember God’s goodness and dependability. This will change our attitudes and enable us to worship with thanksgiving and praise!

The climax to this series of praises of the Lord’s universal reign is a shout of joy. We praise him joyfully as God, Creator, and Shepherd. We give thanks because he is Sovereign, good, loving, and forever faithful. He is Just and our Redeemer gives us justice, love, joy, peace and Salvation. Because the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Blanket your Neighbors with Shouts of Praise and “ALL THANKS BE TO GOD!”

Enter into His Presence! Praise the Lord and give ALL thanks unto him! Amen.

God Bless you all.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Let us now Pray,

God, like the Israelites in the wilderness, we too have known Your love, and experienced Your care and provision. You invite us to extend that love to the world around us—to care for others as deeply as we care for ourselves. So we bring the needs of our world before You now. In Your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for the many who do not have enough:  enough food to eat, or shelter to keep warm;  enough employment, or money to pay their bills; also enough medicine or medical care. Lord, in Your mercy, by your grace, hear our prayer.

We also pray for those who have more than enough,  but who still struggle to find meaning and purpose in life;  who indulge in dangerous or self-serving activities to dull their pain or loneliness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Creator God, Your grace reaches out to all of us. You call us to live as citizens of heaven, working together with one heart and mind. Strengthen us to live in a manner worthy of the Good News we have received, offering our lives in service of Your kingdom, where the last are first, and the first are last, there is grace enough for all, for all lives matter to You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, Amen.