A humbled and open heart is fertile soil for God’s seeds of wisdom. Establishing deeper roots requires analyzing God’s word to discover truths, values, and lessons for application to our lives. Periodically, a scripture or passage calls for further exploration, like Psalm 100:1-5.
A psalm of thanksgiving.
Let the whole earth shout triumphantly to the LORD! Serve the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Acknowledge that the LORD is God. He made us, and we are his— his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. For the LORD is good, and his faithful love endures forever; his faithfulness, through all generations.
Psalm 100:1-5 CSB
The book of Psalms is rooted in faith in the Lord. The book contains prayers, praise, and poetry. The 100th psalm is one of thanksgiving. It was specifically devoted to praising God. Verses 1 through 5 center on glorifying God’s character and all that He has done. Psalm 100 opens with a call to praise the Lord and a charge to work and worship joyfully. Next, the psalmist states a truth, God is our creator and we are His people. Believers are described as His sheep because we follow God and He watches over us, much like a shepherd. The next call is to enter God’s presence with praise and gratitude for God’s continual blessings. As the psalmist closes, there is an emphasis on the enduring love and faithfulness of God from generation to generation.
Thanksgiving is not just one day or month; it is a continual state of being for believers. We should constantly assume a posture of thanks to God for all that He has done, is doing, and will do. When we serve the Lord with hearts of thanksgiving, we create an environment for Him to show up and do amazing works.
Can you imagine the fruit of the Spirit that would grow if we continuously praised God regardless of our circumstances?
So often, we allow external situations or our emotions to hinder our praise to God. Those are the exact moments that are pivotal to the growth of our faith! When we recall His faithfulness and lean into the truth that God is good, our problems get smaller and our joy grows in leaps and bounds.
Will you commit to praising God with joy and thankfulness despite what your circumstances look like?
