Thanksgiving Thoughts

Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!  Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.  Psalms 100:1-2 

The Principles of Thanksgiving

Taking a quick look around it might be easy to see the world as becoming ungrateful and in a bad mood all the time.  Words like please and thank you seem to be heard less and less. However, it is not just the world at large that has become thankless...how about you and I? Is thanksgiving a holiday thing or a principle thing in our lives?

The psalmist speaks of the principles of thanksgiving.  Principles are eternal and therefore they never change with the culture or circumstances we might happen to find ourselves in.  Regardless, God’s principles are to rule our voice and conduct before Him and others.

Joyfully Thankful ... Make a joyful shout

To make a joyful shout is more than hollering or screaming.  The emphasis is on what we are shouting about.  The psalmist is speaking of making an open air confession of God’s goodness and grace.  In fact the Hebrew word means "an extension of the hand."  It is as if the psalmist is saying to cup the hand to the mouth and speak out loud a very joyful confession to the Lord.  It could also reflect the lifting of the hands in praise to God.  A joyful shout can bring a joyful spirit.

Serving Thankful ... Serve the Lord with gladness

When our lives are governed by a joyful heart that speaks words of thanksgiving to the Lord, our lives will naturally (or better yet "supernaturally") fall in line to become servants filled with glad works.  Worshipful service is the natural response of the heart and life of a believer filled with God’s love. 

Come Thankful ... Come before His presence with singing

As the called of God we are to come into His presence with our hearts filled with the joy and gladness of knowing Him.  We are to come singing with joyful voices of praise and thanksgiving...

…speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, Ephesians 5:19 

Those who are fearful to sing out loud because of the judgment of others need to consider what God thinks about their silence.  The beauty of the voice of praise is not the notes but the heart that lifts the song to heaven. If we live ego-centered or self-centered lives we will never become principled-centered people who understand the realm of thanksgiving. The next time you sing in worship, be sure your heart is involved.

Shouting, serving and singing out of a heart of thankfulness brings joy to the heart of the Father.  The key is that, whatever we do, we do it from a heart turned toward Him.

Scripture to Claim:

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.  (Colossians 3:17)