Psalm 100 - Praise and Thanksgiving to Jesus!!!
Psalm 100 (KJV) Make a joyful noise unto the
LORD, all ye lands. 2 Serve the LORD with
gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3
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. 4 Enter into
his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts
with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his
name. 5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is
everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
INTRODUCTION
The hymn "Old Hundredth" ("All People
That on Earth Do Dwell") is based on this psalm,
as is the familiar "Doxology." Thanking the
Lord is something we must do with our lives as
well as with our lips. How shall we do it?
By serving (2). "Enter to worship-depart
to serve" should be written clearly above the
door to the church sanctuary. Too many people
serve themselves and not the Lord, and too often
we do not serve the Lord "with gladness." The
Lord loves a cheerful servant.
By submitting (3). As creatures, we
submit to the Creator who made us. As sheep, we
submit to the Shepherd who died for us and now
leads us in His paths. He not only made us, but He
is making us as we yield to Him (Eph. 2:10).
Submission means fulfillment.
By sacrificing (4-5). As priests, we are
privileged to offer spiritual sacrifices to the Lord (1
Pet. 2:5). They include our songs of praise (Heb.
13:15), good works (Heb. 13:18), and material gifts
(Phil. 4:15-18). Because of who He is (v. 5) and
what He does for us, He is certainly worthy of
our joyful thanks. [Chapter by Chapter Bible
Commentary by Warren Wiersbe]
What Happens When We Praise God?
Perhaps no book exemplifies the spirit of
praise and worship more than the Book of Psalms. It
records more verses of praise than any other book of
the Bible. Obviously, God wants the praises of
His people.
God tells us to give Him thanks in
everything (1 Thess. 5:18), even when things press
against our souls. We may not understand what is
happening; we may never understand. But God's will in
each circumstance is that we praise and thank
Him.
But why? It's because praise is the
clearest and most direct means by which you declare
your dependence on God. It repeats your trust in
Him in the midst of darkness. It confesses your
allegiance and devotion to the One who was crucified
for you and to whom you are eternally joined.
Consider a few of the specific benefits
we derive from praising the Lord:
Praise magnifies God: Praise puts our
focus on God, not on our problems. God's power,
presence, and ability transform our thinking.
Praise humbles us: When we worship God,
we gain a right view of ourselves.
Praise deflates excess pride and ego. We
gain a healthy self-image, based on God's view of
us. By removing pride, praise strengthens us
against temptation.
Praise reveals our devotion to God: If I
love Christ, I will praise Him. If He has first
place in my life, I will honor Him with worship
and thanksgiving.
Praise motivates us to holy living:
Praise opens our hearts to want to live the way God
desires"holy and separated unto Him, to do His will above
our own, to want to be like Him more than like
anyone else. The more we worship Him, the more like
Him we will become.
Praise increases our joy: Joy is the
constant companion of praise. If we feel depressed or
discouraged, praising God will soon bring us joy.
Praise establishes our faith: The greater
we see our God, the smaller we see our
problems.
Praise elevates our emotions: Worry,
fear, and doubt cannot survive for long in an
atmosphere of praise.
If you want to see a difference in your
relationship with Christ and in your walk with Him, start
to praise Him today. Continue even when you
feel prone to give up. Commit yourself to a life
of praise and fellowship with Jesus"and
experience the fullness of what God means by "joy."
[Life Principles SB By Charles Stanley re Psalms
100]
COMMENTARY PEARL
All the paternal love which has come down
from generation to generation through the channel
of human hearts, all the springs of tenderness
which have opened in the souls of men, are but as
a tiny rill to the boundless ocean when
compared with the infinite, exhaustless love of God.
Tongue cannot utter it; pen cannot portray it. You
may meditate upon it every day of your life; you
may search the Scriptures diligently in order to
understand it; you may summon every power and
capability that God has given you, in the endeavor to
comprehend the love and compassion of the heavenly
Father; and yet there is an infinity beyond. You
may study that love for ages; yet you can never
fully comprehend the length and the breadth, the
depth and the height, of the love of God in giving
His Son to die for the world. Eternity itself
can never fully reveal it. Yet as we study the
Bible and meditate upon the life of Christ and the
plan of redemption, these great themes will open
to our understanding more and more. 5T740
COMMENTARY
Delight in divine service is a token of
acceptance. Those who serve God with a sad countenance,
because they do what is unpleasant to them, are not
serving him at all; they bring the form of homage,
but the life is absent. Our God requires no
slaves to grace his throne; he is the Lord of the
empire of love, and would have his servants dressed
in the livery of joy. The angels of God serve
him with songs, not with groans; a murmur or a
sigh would be a mutiny in their ranks. That
obedience which is not voluntary is disobedience, for
the Lord looketh at the heart, and if he seeth
that we serve him from force, and not because we
love him, he will reject our offering. Service
coupled with cheerfulness is heart-service, and
therefore true. Take away joyful willingness from the
Christian, and you have removed the test of his
sincerity. If a man be driven to battle, he is no
patriot; but he who marches into the fray with
flashing eye and beaming face, singing, It is
sweet for ones country to die, proves
himself to be sincere in his patriotism.
Cheerfulness is the support of our strength; in the joy
of the Lord are we strong. It acts as the
remover of difficulties. It is to our service what
oil is to the wheels of a railway carriage.
Without oil the axle soon grows hot, and accidents
occur; and if there be not a holy cheerfulness to
oil our wheels, our spirits will be clogged with
weariness. The man who is cheerful in his service of
God, proves that obedience is his element; he can
sing,
Make me to walk in thy
commands, Tis a delightful road.
Reader, let us put this question - do you
serve the Lord with gladness? Let us show to the
people of the world, who think our religion to be
slavery, that it is to us a delight and a joy! Let
our gladness proclaim that we serve a good
Master. [Charles H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening]
Our Lord would have all his people rich
in high and happy thoughts concerning his
blessed person. Jesus is not content that his
brethren should think meanly of him; it is his
pleasure that his espoused ones should be delighted
with his beauty. We are not to regard him as a
bare necessary, like to bread and water, but as a
luxurious delicacy, as a rare and ravishing delight.
To this end he has revealed himself as the
pearl of great price in its peerless beauty, as
the bundle of myrrh in its refreshing
fragrance, as the rose of Sharon in its lasting
perfume, as the lily in its spotless purity.
As a help to high thoughts of Christ,
remember the estimation that Christ is had in beyond
the skies, where things are measured by the
right standard. Think how God esteems the Only
Begotten, his unspeakable gift to us. Consider what
the angels think of him, as they count it their
highest honour to veil their faces at his feet.
Consider what the blood-washed think of him, as day
without night they sing his well deserved praises.
High thoughts of Christ will enable us to act
consistently with our relations towards him. The more
loftily we see Christ enthroned, and the more lowly
we are when bowing before the foot of the
throne, the more truly shall we be prepared to act
our part towards him. Our Lord Jesus desires us
to think well of him, that we may submit
cheerfully to his authority. High thoughts of him
increase our love. Love and esteem go together.
Therefore, believer, think much of your Masters
excellencies. Study him in his primeval glory, before he
took upon himself your nature! Think of the
mighty love which drew him from his throne to die
upon the cross! Admire him as he conquers all the
powers of hell! See him risen, crowned, glorified!
Bow before him as the Wonderful, the Counsellor,
the mighty God, for only thus will your love to
him be what it should. [Charles H. Spurgeon,
Morning and Evening]
Whoever said religion is stiff and boring
never read the book of Psalms. They literally
overflow with joy. Similarly, your love for God
should overflow into praise. Praising God and
thanking him for his goodness takes your mind off
your problems and shortcomings, causes you to
consider and appreciate God's character, and lifts
your perspective from the earthly to the
heavenly.
Don't let feelings of self-consciousness
interfere with your praise and thanksgiving. You're
doing it for God, not for others. Praise the Lord
enthusiastically, whether in public or private. Hold your
hands up in the air, fall to your knees, sit still
with your eyes closed - whatever form your praise
takes, keep your focus on God and keep it genuine.
Thank him for all his blessings. Acknowledge that
he is God and that you are dependent on him.
Rejoice in the fact that he is perfect, holy, and
awesome, and yet he draws near to you in your frail
condition; rejoice that he is your Father; rejoice that
he provides for your every need. Don't miss out
on the joy and excitement of a life that is
full of praise. [The One Year Bible for New
Believers]
This God we sing to, He is Lord of all
creation! We were lost without the power to save
ourselves, and He saved us! We were lonely, and He
became our friend. We were hungry and He fed us
food from heaven. We were powerless and He has
caused us to have great success So remember the
Rock of our salvation. Sing with all your heart
to your God. Haleleu-Jah! [In His Time; Walk
With Wisdom]
CLOSING THOUGHTS
In order to serve Him aright, we must be
born of the divine Spirit. This will purify the
heart and renew the mind, giving us a new capacity
for knowing and loving God. It will give us a
willing obedience to all His requirements. This is
true worship. It is the fruit of the working of
the Holy Spirit. DA189
It is working together with Christ that is
true worship. Prayers, exhortation, and talk can
be cheap fruits, which are frequently tied on;
but fruits that are manifested in good works, in
caring for the needy, the fatherless, and widows,
are genuine fruits, and grow naturally upon a
good tree. 2T24
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
Psalm 107:1 - TRUE THANKSGIVING!
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20221125-0902.html
Psalm 146 - Praise Is Evidence Of The Life
Of God In The Heart.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2008/20080103-1505.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
