Thanksgiving

Reflections on Psalm 100 and the fullness of Thanksgiving.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

Psalm 100

A Psalm for giving thanks.

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 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. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”

As I read this Psalm, I reorganized it according to three topics or three parts. The reason for this is that the word thanksgiving in the Old Testament (According to Strongs Concordance) is tôwdâh. It means: Confession, Praise, and Thanks. It is adoration, like that of a choir of worshippers.

In Psalm 100, David covers each of these three parts of thanksgiving. What I wanted to do was separate them so we could see them in their parts and then during our celebration of Thanksgiving we can apply each. Indeed, enjoy each in the whole.

So here are the three parts:

Confess

A big part of being thankful is having a firm confidence in something that is certain. A lasting thankfulness requires faithfulness and with faithfulness there must be certain facts. Facts are important. Foundations are important.

Confession happens when the inner-man knows that what it’s been shown is true. We confess what we believe. We confess what we admire. We confess what we hold as our confidence or as fact. Confession is like the root of thanksgiving. What a man knows alters his confidence. What a man is confident about, he confesses. From this confession, overflows the other two parts that follow: Praise and Thanks.

So what does David point to as a confession? What’s the fountain that his heart pulls from?

“Know that the Lord, he is God!”

The first thing he knows is certain is that the Lord is God. This is the only on who deserves Thanksgiving. Mainly because all things are his and are from him, which David covers throughout the Psalm. David is certain that the Lord is God. The God of the Bible. Yahweh. The one we see in Genesis as creator. The one we hear call Abraham. The one who covered Adam and Eve after they sinned. The one who led Moses. The one who raised up David as King. The one who cared for his people. The one who sends his son to die for us. This is his confidence and he says, “Know he is God.”

This Thanksgiving do we know our God? Do we hold this as our treasure? Do our hearts leap at the thought of such a great God? Maybe this phrase isn’t personal enough? Well, David wants his people to know more about the Lord who is God.

He says,

“It is he who made us, and we are his;”

This again is why he is the only one who truly deserves all thanks. All adoration. We are his. He made us. Everything we have or has been given to us is from him.

More than this,

We weren’t accidents. We sit around our tables and many have children who are adopted from broken homes. Some have disabled kids. Some are alone and have no family on this day to be with. Whatever the situation, know for sure that we can confess that we were made by God and in Christ we are his!

He repeats it again,

“we are his people,” (He owns Us.)

And then gives us a different picture for the same idea,

“ and the sheep of his pasture.” (He cares for us. Read Psalm 23.)

If we read John 10, we will hear Jesus call us his sheep. This is God’s care for us. We are led and cared for by this Lord. This is our confidence and the very fountain that will never stop quenching our heart’s deepest thirst. Indeed it is the heart of the outward expressions we see next.

Praise

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!”

And then,

“Come into his presence with singing!”

And lastly,

“and his courts with praise!“

Be thrilled with such a magnificent hope! Sing about the Lord and all he has done! James said that every good gift comes from above. “Every” good gift. Whatever is good that you and I have is from above.

First Peter says we were caused to be born again to a living hope. Indeed, he says further that we have an inheritance that is kept for us. What a joy this would become if we set our hearts and minds on such truths.

Have you ever seen a man when the lottery or a big prize? You ever see the chaos that happens on the old show, “The Price Is Right?” Those people are clapping, smiling, and raising their hands like the wobbly balloon man outside of a big sale! They are praising and dancing for things that will pass away. May we be filled with such excitement and Joy at the thought of all we have in God the father through Christ! He has made us right with God! He took our sin and became a curse on the cross so we can know and enjoy God forever! This is greater than anything we have in this world.

Praise his name this Thanksgiving day! Confess his deeds and worth! Know for sure that he will do all he has promised and then make noise! Get wild! Dance around the living room if you want! Let us find great joy in our Lord, King, And Father.

Thanks

Now, we reach the part that stems from these last two parts. As we know, confess, and as our hearts are stirred in praise, we see thanksgiving have its fullness when the mouth declares it’s thanks. Indeed it changes our life and actions.

We hear David say,

“Serve the Lord with gladness!”

Live our lives in what we know! Let us see all things as though they flow from God’s hands. Everything is from God! Our life is a declaration of God’s faithfulness towards us! Even in our pain and suffering he has done all that needed to be done. He conquered sin and death. Though we die, yet we will live! We can live a very useful life when we realize we were made and are held together by such a great God! Thanksgiving happens in our lifestyle just as much as in our proclamation. Indeed, maybe even more!

David’s heart is one that treasures deeply the works and promises of God. He continually encourages people to do the same and be people of constant praise!

We read,

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving,”

And,

“Give thanks to him; bless his name!”

Then he gives more reasons! He says,

“For (because) the Lord is good;”

Not bad. I know we live in a place that seems to cast a shadow over our eyes. It’s easy to think God is shady and against us even though his word says the opposite. This is why we must be men and women with their minds set on the word. We must set our mind and strength to know the word of God. It is our constant renewal! It’s what keeps our mind sturdy in the midst of the constant abuse of the sin and ideologies around us. We need the word of God in our hearts and minds continually. He is good. Do you know this?

David goes from goodness to love. A forever love.

He says,

“ his steadfast love endures forever,”

In Christ we see this love in its full glory. Be filled with thankfulness when you think of the love we see on the cross! What more does my heart need? The son of God died in my place and gave me life! Do I need anything else this Thanksgiving? With this truth alone I can rest every night with a joy-filled heart. More than his forever and constant love, David also says,

“ and his faithfulness to all generations.”

Yeah, in case you think it’s only for the people of the Bible. In case you think only they can rest and have Thanksgiving as a holiday. He is a God for all generations! You and me! This is our God! He is faithful whether life is going well or if we are in troubles and pain! He will provide friends!

So, Confess, Praise, and Thanks. This is the wholeness of Thanksgiving. It is solid in what it knows and confesses. It has a source that will produce more joy than anything else and it opens its mouth with evidence and confidence! Its hope gives birth to reality. The faithfulness is known deeply, life continually points to the proof of what is known, and from this the heart rejoices and gives thanks. Indeed, thanksgiving is a continuation or pattern of confession (inwardly the heart embraces truth and clings to it as reality), Praise (inwardly and outwardly joy is growing and expressed), followed by thanks or a confession outwardly toward the provision from God that was the original confidence. It is truth embraced and then reality seen and treasured. This causes a man and woman to declare that they have what they have because God is God.

This is absolutely simple, complex, and yet filled with expectation and glory!

We are people who have the greatest source of all thankfulness!

Let us have a Happy Thanksgiving! Cling To Christ!