August 6, 2023
We live in a world that has become increasingly more selfish, rude, and entitled. The words “Thank You” can seldom be heard in conversations today. Unfortunately, Christians are often just as guilty as the rest of the world when it comes to our lack of gratitude. A quick reading of Psalm 100 might help cure our problem. As we look carefully at this Psalm, we find that there is a series of five commands given. The first command is in verse one, "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth." That phrase means to shout with the force of a trumpet blast, a shout of joy to the Lord that comes from the very depths of your being. Maybe He solved your problem. Maybe He has given you the direction to turn. Maybe He has provided a blessing, and you realize that blessing has come from God. So, from the depths of your being, proclaim your praise. The second command is found in verse two, "Serve the Lord with gladness." The Psalmist doesn’t say "serve the church, preacher, leaders, or organization." He says, "serve the Lord." The Bible teaches that if we witness on behalf of the Lord, if we feed the hungry, if we clothe the naked, if we serve our neighbors, however it might be, we are serving the Lord. The third command is also in verse two, "Come before Him with joyful songs." Psalm 98:4 says, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord." And that, I can do. Have you noticed? In these first three commands, God has said, "I want you to be happy. Shout with joy, serve with gladness, and come with joyful songs." Command number four is found in verse three, "Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, & we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture." The basis of our joy is not our emotion, but rather, our knowledge. God took every bone, every joint and welded them together with sinews and muscle. Then He 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. He is still making us. It is important to realize too, that He’s not satisfied with the unfinished product. He’s not satisfied with my 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 and in our lives. Finally, command number five is found in verse four, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving.” When you have obeyed commands one through four, it’s time to worship with a thankful heart. That worship is not just Sunday-go-to-meeting worship. It is worship on the job, in the car, at the store. Wherever you are, a thankful Christian will be worshipping and that, y’all, will make for a better world.
Be blessed and be a blessing . . . Bro. Andy
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