An audio version of this post can be found at https://www.spreaker.com/user/sermonsfrommyheart/psalm-100-giving-thanks-to-god-the-king
How many of you know what a cornucopia is? It’s also sometimes called a horn of plenty. It is usually filled with many kinds of foods like apples, oranges, grapes, squash, and ears of corn. It is a symbol of an endless supply of food. Today it is usually made from a basket, but many years ago a goat’s horn was hollowed out and filled with food. We usually see it at Thanksgiving because it is a symbol of all the good things that we have to enjoy.
We have a lot to be thankful for. Who should we thank for all that we have? We should give thanks to God. The Bible tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from God. When someone gives us a gift, we say “Thank you.” When do you think we should say “thank you” to God? When do you think we should say “thank you” to God by worshipping Him?
Psalm 100 is a psalm of thanksgiving or giving grateful praise. Praise flows best from a grateful heart. That’s why it’s a good idea to do what the classic “Thanksgiving Hymn” suggests:
Count your many blessings,
Name them one by one.
Count your many blessings,
See what God has done.
Some believe that this psalm was the conclusion of six psalms used in worship when approaching the temple, and therefore sung when at last the congregation entered the temple proper. At times it also accompanied the thank offering. Worshippers would recite, sing, or chant this psalm as part of their praise. Through the psalm we are called into God’s presence based upon the revelation of who He is.
Today is Reign of Christ Sunday, also known as Christ the King Sunday. It is an affirmation that Christ and not our national interest, personal self-interest, or political leaders is to be our ultimate concern. Psalm 100 teaches us how and why to worship God as our King. Psalm 100 celebrates God’s loving presence. We are God’s beloved sheep, protected and nurtured by the good shepherd. Thanksgiving and praise are the only responses to divine providence and care. We can live joyfully because love rules the sun, stars, and humankind.
Worship should never be passive. The whole world is to shout before Him. God looks upon the heart. Beyond the action of the joyful shout, there must be a proper attitude. Thus the psalmist calls us to serve God with gladness.
Why worship God like this? The psalmist answers this question in verse 3:
- “Know that the Lord, He is God.” In this affirmation the renunciation of all other gods is also implied. Since God is God, He is to be praised for who He is, not simply for what He has done. He is God, and that’s enough.
- He is the creator. We are not autonomous. We are not self-sufficient. We are the creation and therefore dependent upon Him for everything.
- Beyond creation stands redemption. Nations are included in this call given to us in Christ. Thus the Gentiles can join in confessing, “We are the sheep of His pasture.” The metaphor of the sheep assumes that God is the shepherd. We are His flock. God is the creator; we are His creations. God is the Father; we are His children. When we remember these basic truths, life goes a lot smoother for everyone. This picture is now fulfilled in Jesus, who presented Himself as the Good Shepherd who lays down in His life for the sheep.
The word mercy is inevitably associated with redemption in Christ. Sinners are saved by His mercy. The phrase “His truth endures to all generations” pictures the generations being born and dying, one following after another, while the faithfulness of God remains constant. True biblical praise focuses on who God is. What He does is the result of who He is, but His worshippers often never get past what He does.
In verse 4, the scene shifts to the temple in Jerusalem, God is enthroned as King, living in His palace like any other monarch. Filled with joy, the worshipers ascend the Temple Mount. They come to God’s house with an attitude of gratitude. This is the same attitude we need to have when we come to God’s house. Gratitude now turns to blessing. God is the object of our worship. As He gives us His name, so He calls us by name into a relationship with Him.
Why should we worship God as our King? We are to praise God because He is good. The goodness of God is seen in His moral character and in His benevolence toward us. Second, we are to praise God because His mercy is everlasting. God has bound us to Himself in a covenant or compact that He will never revoke or abandon. In an attitude of gladness and in actions of shouting and singing, we are to come to Him. This is the worship that blesses God. In turn, this worship will bless us as well.
What is it about praise and thanksgiving that brings God and believers so close together? Praise melts our hearts so that we are no longer hardened by sin or disappointment. The Bible teaches that God is near to those who praise Him. While He never requires our praise, He certainly wants it because He knows that praise places us in a position to receive His blessings.
There are four things that every follower of God should aspire to do:
- Worship God joyfully. God gave us the voices we have, and they are adequate enough instruments to make a joyful noise to Him. Even if we’re not emotional people, when God is with us, and if He is real to us, we will engage Him on some level of worship.
- Serve God gladly. Spiritual maturity isn’t measured by glorious singing as much as by glad serving. If we are going to serve God at all, we have to do it with joy, not complaining or moaning. God loves a life that is lived cheerfully for Him.
- Love God intelligently. Contrary to popular belief, our minds matter to God.
- Thank God consistently. We are to thank Him because of who He is. He is good, merciful, and honest, and He deserves our worship.
If God’s presence makes us joyful, then serving Him should make us happy. Only when one takes no pleasure in God does serving Him seem like a chore and a burden. Gratitude escorts us into God’s presence. We will be amazed at what a little thankfulness with God will do. Showing gratitude reminds us of God’s character and nature. When He does something for us, that action becomes a window into His character.
Gratitude also helps us touch the heart of a merciful Father. Our society is triggered with injustice, but it is deeply disconnected from God’s mercy, so much so that we are in a very dangerous place. If we are not careful, we will enter an era of vigilante Christian justice. If we are not careful, we will lose sight of the cross.
Gratitude opens up God’s voice as His truth enters our spirit. When we touch God through gratitude, His truth fills our hearts, washing and empowering our souls. Gratitude also acts like a weapon against our enemies. When lies seek to steal our peace, move us out from the presence of God, rob us of the nature of our Father, and kill the work of His mercy in our lives, we have to fight back by using the weapon of gratitude.
Regardless of what we are facing, in the midst of all of it, may we remember again that God gives us the opportunity each and every day to give worship and thanks to Him. Every morning He gives us breath is His invitation to come joyfully into His Presence. He reminds us that He alone is God and we belong to Him. He assures us that His plans in our lives are for good, that his love covers us securely, and His faithfulness extends from generation to generation.
The only reason there is any good in the world is because God is the Creator of the world, and He is a good God. His goodness is in the universe. We can’t spell “good” without “God.” If there is no God, then there is no right and wrong or good and bad.
God wants us to think well of Him so that we may submit cheerfully to His authority. When we do so, we can remember the words of this Christmas carol:
Come on ring those bells,
Light the Christmas tree.
Jesus is the King,
Born for you and me.
Thankfulness invites blessing more than anything in the world. When we jump up and down and thank God for something as simple as a good day, we’re going to have more good days.
If we want to be close to God and come into His presence as we have been invited and commanded to do, we must be people of praise. God’s goodness to us is overwhelming. It is beyond our ability to fully comprehend, and no matter how grateful we are, we will never exhaust the list of things for which we are indebted to Him.
Bibliography
- Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 772)
- Williams, D., & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 14: Psalms 73-150 (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1989; pp. 207-210)
- Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
- Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010)
- Ski Heitzig, “How Will You Live the Rest of Your Life?” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
- Debbie McDaniel, “A Prayer for Thanksgiving Day.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswwalkmail.com
- Alistair Begg, “Think Highly of Christ.” Retrieved from newsletters@truthforlife.org
- Rick Warren, “What is God Really Like?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
- Dr. Paul Chappell, “The Path to God’s Presence.” Retrieved from daily@dailyintheword.org
- Bobby Schuller, “Thankful and Blessed.” Retrieved from www.hourofpower.org
- Michael Youssef, Ph.D.,” The Importance of Praise.” Retrieved from web@ltw.org
- “Giving Thanks.” Retrieved from infor@keysforkids.org
- Bruce Epperly, “The Adventurous Lectionary-Christ the King/Kin Sunday-November 26, 2023.” Retrieved from https://www.patheos.com/blogs/livingaholyadventure/
- Dr. Ed Young, “Count Your Blessings.” Retrieved from ministry@winningwalk.org
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