New: 20 February 2025
A Prayer of
Thanksgiving
Psalm 100
Shout joyfully to the LORD,
all the earth.
Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
Psalm 100:1-2
Songs of Joy
A psalm is a song. There are happy songs and there are sad songs. We have written several times about psalms in which the psalmists have poured out their hearts before God, some even with complaints. The psalmists would share what they have been experiencing. Psalms are ways to talk to God and asking Him for help. We all know the power of music and how it affects us—positively or negatively. Joyful songs carry great power. They inspire us to praise God despite the struggles we're in. Songs of joy are expressions of thanksgiving to the God who intervened and helped us. Psalm 100 is a short and powerful psalm of thanksgiving with songs of joy and thanksgiving.
God is the fountain of life (Psalm 36; E13) and the source of joy (Psalm 16; E15). God wants us to come before Him with joyful shouts (Psalm 110:1; 2b), expressing the joy in our hearts. This is easy when we are happy due to good circumstances. But when we feel down, singing joyful songs may seem challenging at first, yet it changes us and the way we feel. Sometimes you must decide to praise God and sing a happy song even if you don't feel like it. Joyful songs will change the way you feel. God wants us to serve Him with gladness (v 2a). There is great power in joy! A world with much sadness and tragedy can certainly do with some more joyful and happy songs. We have to mourn with those who mourn and show compassion, yet also sing happy songs with those who are rejoicing (Romans 12:15). We are to rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4) and praise Him at all times (Psalm 34; E7). There is power in praise and joyful songs.
When we realise who God is and that we were created by Him, we know we are His (Psalm 100:3). We belong to God; He is our Father and we are His children. Figuratively speaking of His loving care and faithful provision, we know that we as His people are the sheep of His pasture (v 3b). He is the good Shepherd whom we can trust (Psalm 23; E1). Knowing who we are created in God's image is a powerful way to see ourselves. We realise that we are here with a purpose and by divine will. We are not an accident or here by chance. We learn to serve the Creator with gladness and thanksgiving. We sing songs of joy and songs of thanksgiving.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him,
bless His name.
Psalm 100:4
Songs of Thanksgiving
We sing joyful songs with grateful hearts to the God whom we serve with gladness. We are to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise (Psalm 100:4). This speaks of the time when the Temple in Jerusalem was the centre of worship. Coming before God was a joyful occasion. There was the annual Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) where all Israelites would humble themselves in repentance with fasting over their sins, yet they would be forgiven as the high priest entered the Holy of Holies to sacrifice for God's forgiveness. This was reason to rejoice with grateful hearts. Jesus is our heavenly High Priest who established eternal salvation for us (Hebrews 9:11-15). We are, therefore, to offer up sacrifices of praise with joyful songs from grateful hearts—giving thanks to His name (13:15). In gratitude towards God for His great mercy and goodness, we serve and help others (v 16). We serve God by an attitude of gratitude in reverence and awe of Him who gave us an unshakeable kingdom (12:28).
We give thanks to Him and bless His beautiful Name (Psalm 100:5). He is good and His lovingkindness and faithfulness endures forever (v 6). Praise and gratitude bring us to a place of worship before the Creator who is Father and Shepherd. Joy has power to transform us even when our circumstances are difficult or challenging. We can carry peace in our hearts in the midst of storms around us. We can have joy in our hearts even when others around us are sad. And we must always carry gratitude in our hearts towards God and rejoice in His goodness, kindness, and faithfulness. There is power in gratitude. We should be thankful always (1 Thessalonians 5:18; D3). We should rejoice in Him always (Philippians 4:4), a joy that comes from prayer, prayer that also brings us peace (vv 6-7) from the Good of peace who teaches us the ways of peace (vv 8-9). We need peace in the midst of life's storms, and we need to remain thankful for all good things. A grateful attitude is a powerful antidote to the sadness and frustration in the world. Remain grateful and be at peace in the God of peace. Serve Him with gladness and offer sacrifices of praise by giving glory to His Name!