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Enter With Thanksgiving
Psalms 100
It is not uncommon to compile wish
lists at Christmas, & draw up a list of resolutions for New Years. But
as we get ready for Thanksgiving I wanted to read you a Thanksgiving Day
list compiled by several housewives. They wrote that they were
especially thankful:
"For automatic dishwashers because they make it possible for us to get
out of the kitchen before the family comes back in for their
after-dinner snacks.
"For husbands who attack small repair jobs around the house because they
usually make them big enough to call in the professionals.
"For children who put away their things & clean up after themselves.
They’re such a joy you hate to see them go home to their own parents
"For teenagers because they give parents an opportunity to learn a
second language.
"For Smoke alarms because they let you know when the turkey’s done.
Now our list might not be the same as theirs, but I’m convinced that if
we began to make a list, we would find that we have much more for which
to be thankful than just our material possessions. Like you, I’m sure,
my list would include the major things - life, health, family, friends,
& the nation we live in, despite all its flaws. But even more than that,
I’m thankful for my salvation, our church family, & the mercy that God
showers upon us each day. With Jesus we have so much for which to
celebrate on Thanksgiving!
One of the subjects I have had the opportunity to study while back in
School is “The Religious History of America.” In this class I have come
to the understanding of how underprivileged the small handful of
settlers aboard the Mayflower were.
These men and women left the civilization of England and came to a
wilderness where they had no homes, no government agency to help them
build homes. They had no means of transportation or even roads to travel
upon. Their only food came from the sea and from what they could find in
the forest, and they had to get it for themselves.
They had no money and even if they did they had no place to spend it.
They had nothing to do for amusement except what they made for
themselves, no means of communication with their relatives in England,
no social security or Medicare.
But anyone who dared to call them underprivileged would probably have
ended up in the stocks, for they did have 4 of the greatest human
assets: initiative, courage, a willingness to work, & a boundless faith
in God.
Our forefathers had "a boundless faith in God." And they felt blessed
enough in this new world to set aside a day of Thanksgiving to an
Almighty God. Thanksgiving Day is a distinctive holiday. It doesn’t
commemorate a battle or anyone’s birthday or anniversary. It is simply a
day set aside to express our nations thanks to God.
Almost 200 years later this Thursday our nation will pause once again to
give thanks. I want to read today from our text that is found in the
100th Psalm. It is a beautiful Psalm written to remind us of our need to
be thankful, and to maintain an attitude of gratitude.
Read Text
THE BASIS OF OUR THANKSGIVING
The 100th Psalm was written for the people of Israel. God said to them,
"When you come into the Promised Land, and settle down in your warm
homes, and you have plenty to eat, don’t forget Me. I led you out of the
wilderness and I brought you into a land flowing with milk and honey."
But it doesn’t take very long to realize that the people of Israel
needed a reminder, and it is refreshing to see that even those who had
direct revelation from God could be as forgetful as you and I.
One of the great things about the 100th Psalm is that even though it was
written generations ago God had us in mind when this Psalm was written.
Did you notice to whom it is addressed? The first verse says that it is
addressed to "all the earth," and the last verse says that it is
includes "all generations."
This message of thanksgiving is so deep and wide that it applies to
every person in every era in every stage of life. It’s sad, isn’t it,
that we are the only country in the world that has a Thanksgiving Day? I
wonder how our world would be changed if suddenly all nations would
begin to observe Thanksgiving?
I think that there is something about giving thanks together to God that
breaks down barriers between people and brings about a unity. I think
also that there is a real danger in this season of determining our
thanksgiving on the basis of how much we have.
"Do I have enough turkey to gorge myself sufficiently? Is my money in
the bank secure? Am I healthy?" And we let these things determine
whether we are or aren’t thankful.
The Psalmist says that all of these things may change at any time. They
may drift away, or burn up, or someone may steal them. The only thing we
have for sure is our relationship with the Lord. And that is what the
100th Psalm emphasizes. Just look at the Psalm quickly. Every verse
mentions the Lord. The Psalmist is saying that God is basis of our
thanksgiving.
Alex Haley, the author of "Roots," had an unusual picture hanging on his
office wall. It was a picture of a turtle on top of a fence post. When
asked, "Why is that there?" Alex Haley answered, "Every time I write
something significant, every time I read my words and think that they
are wonderful, and begin to feel proud of myself, I look at the turtle
on top of the fence post and remember that he didn’t get there on his
own. He had help."
That is the basis of thankfulness - to remember that we got here with
the help of God, and that He is the provider of every blessing we have.
So today let’s look at this wonderful text and see if we can find the
five Thanksgiving Commands
The first command we find in verse one is, "Shout for joy to the Lord,
all the earth."
Roland Allen tells about a medical missionary who worked for many years
in India. He served in a region where there was progressive blindness.
People were born with healthy vision, but there was something in that
area that caused people to lose their sight as they matured."
But this missionary had developed a process which would stop the
progressive blindness. So people came to him and he performed his
operation, and they would leave realizing that they would have become
blind, but now they were going to be able to see for the rest of their
lives.
He said that they never said, "Thank you," because that phrase was not
in their dialect. Instead, they spoke a word that meant, "I will tell
your name." Wherever they went, they would tell the name of the
missionary who had cured their blindness. They had received something so
wonderful that they eagerly proclaimed it.
The psalmists extols all believers to "shout for joy”. And I know that
yesterday some of you were shouting for joy. But what would it be like
if we got as excited over God as we do over a football game against our
bitter rivals?
A shout of joy to the Lord comes from the very depths of your being.
Maybe God solved your problem. Maybe He has given you the direction to
go. Maybe He has provided a blessing, and you realize that it has come
from God. So from the depths of your being you proclaim your praise.
And that is what the Psalmist is saying. "Suddenly you realize that God
has been so good to you that you can’t keep it inside any more. From the
depths of your being you shout your joy unto the Lord."
The second command is found in verse two; "Serve the Lord with
gladness."
The most important part of this thanksgiving command is the direction of
service. I need you to notice that it doesn’t say "serve the church." It
doesn’t say "serve the preacher, or serve the elders, or serve the
organization." It says, "Serve the Lord."
The Bible teaches that if we work on behalf of the Lord, if we feed the
hungry, if we clothe the naked, if we do the work of the Lord, whatever
it might be, we are serving the Lord. Jesus said, "Inasmuch as you have
done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto me."
I’m not sure that we grasp that, and I know that there are times where I
don’t full understand how that works. I know that there are times where
we serve out of a feeling of obligation or a fear of guilt if we don’t
serve. And sometimes we serve just because we want someone, anyone to
say thank you. It’s natural for us to desire appreciation when we do
something that is worthwhile.
But look again at what the Psalmist says, "In whatever you do, serve the
Lord with gladness." Why? Because the Psalmist knows that nothing ever
done for the cause of God and his name has come back empty. As a matter
of fact I believe the psalmist knows all to well the principal found in
Malachi 3: 10
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My
house, And try Me now in this, Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not
open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it"
The third command is, "Come before Him with joyful songs." Another
passage says, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord." And that I can do.
Have you noticed? In these first 3 commands, God has said, "I want you
to be happy. Shout with joy, serve with gladness, and come with joyful
songs." Now just take a moment and look at the people around you. Do
they look happy? Or are they just sitting there with scowls on their
faces?
The Psalmist says, "Come before Him and serve Him and sing His praise
with joy in your heart."
Singing is a natural reaction to happiness. When a young woman finds
herself in love, she hums to herself. When a man gets a promotion at
work he will sing with the radio all the way home. And you know what I
have noticed; singing is something that everyone can do. The psalmist
doesn’t say that your song has to sing all the right words, be in tune,
or use the right tempo. It just has to be a song of joy; joy from
realizing how great the God you serve is.
Our Fourth Thanksgiving command is, "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."
God took every bone, every joint, and He welded them together with
tendons and muscles, covered them with skin, and gave us eyes that see,
brains that think, and fingers that can pick things up. God made us,
inside and out. He made you the way He wanted you to be. And He made me
the way He wanted me to be.
That is a mystery, isn’t it? I don’t understand why, but somehow in
God’s providence He decided that He wanted a broad shouldered man, not
too good looking, not outstanding in anything, but just a faithful
father and husband who would keep plodding along. So He made me.
Someplace along the way He had you in mind, and He made you.
And He is still making us. That is important, too. He’s not satisfied
with the unfinished product. He’s not satisfied with your temper. He’s
not satisfied with the weak areas of your life where you are giving in
to temptation. So He’s still making us. He’s still working on our lives.
God is your maker, and you are created in His image. Therefore give Him
thanks for who you are.
Then He says, "We are His people, the sheep of His pasture." Most of us
want to be shepherds, not sheep. "It’s not any fun being sheep," we say.
But the problem is, we don’t know where the still waters and green
pastures are. And every time we go out searching for them, we invariably
end up in the far country. He is saying, "You be the sheep. Let me be
the shepherd, and I will lead you beside the still waters and the green
pastures. Just let me lead."
Being truly thankful requires that I understand how truly feeble I am.
Isaiah says in Isaiah 64:8 says:
But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our
potter; we are all the work of your hand. That’s why we can be thankful;
the Potter is molding us into His desire for us.
Our final command is this, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His
courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord
is good and His love endures forever. His faithfulness continues through
all generations."
In the O.T. the temple symbolized the presence of God. So whenever the
people came to the temple and entered the courtyards they knew that they
had come into the presence of God.
Now that temple no longer exists. Some churches call the place where we
meet to worship God the "sanctuary," indicating that God is there. But
we know that God is everywhere. He is with you as you drive on the
highway. He is with you when you work. He is with you as you care for
your children. He is with you every moment of your life.
In the end this is the real source of our thanksgiving. But I’m worried.
What if God began to treat us like we so often treat Him? What if God
met our needs to the same extent that we give Him our lives?
What if we never saw another flower bloom because we grumbled when God
sent the rain?
What if God stopped loving and caring for us because we failed to love
and care for others?
What if God took away His message because we wouldn’t listen to His
messenger?
What if He wouldn’t bless us today because we didn’t thank Him
yesterday?
What if God answered our prayers the way we answer His call for service?
What if God decided to stop leading us tomorrow because we did not
follow Him today?
A few chapters later the Psalmist writes O Lord, help us to be thankful
that you do "not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to
our iniquities Psalm 103:10
I pray that this will be a meaningful Thanksgiving week for you and all
your family. Maybe as you gather with your family before you tear into
the turkey and stuffing you could take time to read the 100th Psalm
again. And if you’ll listen to those commands, your heart will overflow
with thanksgiving to the Lord.
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