There was this fellow, a preacher, about to have a meal in a crowded restaurant, when a stranger approached his table and asked if he could join him. Seemed odd, a total stranger asking to dine with him, but he thought... why not, and invited the stranger to sit with him.
Then, as was his custom, the preacher bowed his head in prayer. When he opened his eyes, the other man, the stranger, asked, "Do you have a headache?" The preacher replied, "No, I don't." The other man asked, "Well, is there something wrong with your food?" The preacher replied, "No, I was simply thanking God as I always do before I eat." The stranger said, "Oh, you're one of those, are you? Well, I want you to know I never give thanks. I earn my money by the sweat of my brow and I don't have to give thanks to anybody when I eat. I just start right in!" The preacher said, "Yes, you're just like my dog. That's what he does too.
At Thanksgiving, we can make a lists of blessings, including many things, experiences, family and people we are grateful for. But certainly the greatest blessing to give thanks for this Thanksgiving Day is the gift of His grace.
Some think of Thanksgiving as a time for eating. Gobble 'till you wobble" and "slurp 'till you burp." Expressing appreciation is much more than any of this. It is more than just a day for food, football, fellowship and family.
It's not just a holiday every fourth Thursday in November. For God's people everyday ought to be Thanksgiving Day!
Psalm 100 is an Old Testament praise of Thanksgiving. It is titled "A Psalm of Thanksgiving”... an invitation for people who recognize the Lord and His goodness to publicly acknowledge Him. Not only does it call upon us to praise the Lord with thankfulness but it also describes to us the nature of true thanksgiving.
We should never miss an opportunity to make public declaration of our appreciation for all that God has done and will do.
Expressing appreciation to the Lord needs to be seen, heard and known. It is never enough to thank God quietly or privately. In the mindset of Psalm 100, it must be public. Public appreciation cannot be kept quiet. Let's take time and break these verses down and allow them to speak to us.
The phrase in verse 1... "to shout for joy" is like public applause, much like when a celebrity or president is cheered at their appearing, so we should cheer for our God on every occasion.
Thanksgiving Day wouldn’t be complete without football and the fans. We have all seen the excitement, cheers and chants as fans await their favorite team to take the field. When the players appear, the crowd shouts and cheers as one large body of fans!
We can do no less for our God! Make this Thanksgiving a time for praising the God of the universe for all He is and all He does for humanity!
Psalm 100
A psalm for giving grateful praise.
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Psalm 98:4
Happy Thanksgiving!
