Thanksgiving: How, Why
Psalms 100 (ESV) 1 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.
This is the only Psalm that bears the name of a “Psalm for Giving Thanks” in the entire collection of Psalms.
Vs 1: Make a joyful noise to the Lord, ALL the earth!
- Noise: Rua – often translated shout.
- ALL the earth…
- The only proper response to the King of Kings is a shout of joy in His presence.
Vs 2: Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
- We are to serve Him, not the other way around.
- We are to come into His presence with singing!
Vs 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.
- We are to KNOW….
- We must have an intellectual understanding that the LORD is GOD.
- We are His People, the sheep of His pasture.
- We are in HIS pasture….. not our own, His pasture is safe, its full of provisions and He is present there.
Vs 4: Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
- Enter His gates, courts…. With praise.
- It is us who are blessed to be in His gates/courts.
- Give thanks to Him, Bless His name!
- There is no other proper response to the King of Kings other than praise and thankfulness.
Vs 5: For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
- For the LORD is GOOD…
- HE alone defines good, we can’t comprehend good without Him.
- HIS steadfast love endures forever…
- His love has no end and does not waiver in any way regardless of circumstances or our failings as loyal servants.
- Even in His discipline His love endures and IS the motivation for it.
- And His faithfulness to ALL generations…
- God is as faithful to today’s generation as He was to Adam’s.
- While man continues to do that which is abhorrent, God continues to be faithful.






