Thanksgiving #2

November 20, 2020 (Friday)

 

Psalm 100 [ESV] is noted as “A Psalm for giving thanks.”

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
²     Serve the Lord with gladness!
    Come into his presence with singing!

³ Know that the Lord, he is God!
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise!
    Give thanks to him; bless his name!

⁵ For the Lord is good;
    his steadfast love endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations.

 

I am personally amazed when the Bible asks us to “make a joyful noise.” It takes no skill to make a noise. Making a noise means we are not self-conscious. Making a noise tends to be a spontaneous response to stimulation. In this case our motivation is “the Lord.”

 

We are privileged to “serve the Lord with gladness.” How many tasks do we do because they need to be done? We do them in drudgery as if we were dragging our carcasses through the task. Serving the Lord is an honor, as entering His presence. We can enter God’s presence with singing.

 

All this can be done, not just emotionally, but also with certainty of reason. We know the Lord is “God.” Remember when the “Lord” is mentioned, it is God’s sacred name. In a world with competing “god” we know which one we serve by name. As a bonus, God knows us by name. We know God as the Creator and the one who shapes our lives. We also know Him as our Good Shepherd.

 

When we go to church (“enter his gates” “his courts”) as an image of entering the Temple we do so with Thanksgiving and praise. We do this because He is worthy. In fact, he is the only one worthy. I’m always humored when a professional sports player celebrates a good play. Sure they are losing by more points than they can score, but they celebrate like they just won. That’s not us. We celebrate because we are with Jesus. Victory is certain.

 

The last verse covers three of my favorite images of God. God is good (all the time). God’s steadfast love endures forever. God’s faithfulness is for ALL generations. In 2020 it could be easy to wonder if God is good. Trust me, if this is God “taking us to the woodshed” it’s only due to His love. God desires only our good. There is never a point where God will give up on humanity.

 

There may be a time when he allows a generation to go “off the rails” and live with the consequences of what we have made. Considering American’s have killed 800,000+ of their citizens in abortion “clinics” every year for the last 47 years, our justice is long overdue. My hope is repentance will stem God’s justice.

 

God’s love, shown through grace and mercy can cover every sin. While there is life, there is hope. There is joy, peace, and hope we miss when we do not repent.