Tuesday: Thankful Praise

In Psalms 100:1, David tells us to "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands." Some people say that they cannot praise the Lord, because they cannot sing, but there is more to making joyful noise than singing. It is praising the Lord with song, with instrument, and with uttering Psalms.

In the second verse, it says, "Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing." The blessings of serving the Lord are more than enough to put a smile on our faces. We need to show our gladness on our faces and let it bubble out of our hearts. Those that see it can be glad and rejoice. We all go through difficult things, but through those difficult things we can be all the more glad that the Lord has given us something to rejoice about.

In the third verse, it says, "Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture." Yet another reason to praise the Lord, because He is our Creator. Look around you and see the wonderful Creation and praise the Lord. So many people believe that we come from some primordial ooze, but if you look at the intricate designs in us alone, that did not just happen by chance. In Psalms 139, David says that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." I have witnessed that in the birth of my children. Even with those that were born with some birth defect, they share in that same testimony.

The fourth verse tells us to "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name." Thanksgiving should not just be reserved as a fall holiday that we utter thanks to the Lord. Let it be perpetual thanksgiving. Every time we enter into His presence, we need to thank Him. This applies to even the smallest thing that we have to be thankful for.

Finally, David speaks of the Lord's goodness in verse five, "For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." The Lord is good to those that love and serve Him. The mercy of the Lord is eternal, so without His mercy we would be completely destroyed. This attribute is one that we cannot take lightly. The truth of God's Word will endure no matter what man tries to do to it. God is God alone, and there is none else. Read Psalms 100 and remember the reasons you are glad to be a Christian.