A Psalm of Thanksgiving
I like to run. I’ve done a couple of 5Ks, a half marathon, and a trail relay. Two or three times a week, I’m tying my shoes. Heading out to pound something underneath my feet. But, despite all of that, I don’t consider myself to be a runner. Before you start into a rant about semantics, just keep reading. I don’t consider myself a runner because I like to stop (stick with me--we’re going somewhere). Sometimes I stop because my calf is cramping. Or because there’s a stick in my shoe or because I can’t breathe. But normally I stop because something distracted me. When I’m outside running, especially on trails, my senses are drawn to everything.
An orange leaf blowing in the wind.
A fuzzy caterpillar inching its way across the path.
A scampering squirrel darting up a tree.
A breath of wind whispering through the trees.
I love to run on trails because of these distractions. And I love to stop on trails to take all of that in. The Lord has created this beautiful world for us to appreciate; but so often, we are too focused on getting to the end of a path. Achieving at a certain level, checking tasks off of a list...and we lose sight of these little gifts that the Lord has given us.
A Model from David
If you’ve spent any time reading the Psalms, you know that David had a knack for noticing all of the little gifts for which we have to give thanks. So we’re going to take a moment to sit with some of his words on the topic. Begin by reading Psalm 100 (printed here) in its entirety once or twice (It’s short!). Maybe take a minute to jot down any thoughts that come to mind. Then, continue reading the article.
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pastures.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts of praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
A Little At a Time
Here’s where we’re going to think back to my trail running tendencies. Instead of pushing through this whole psalm in one big bite, we’re going to stop and ponder each line. We’re going to take it in and appreciate it.
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
As someone who works with children, I have a habit of using the phrase, “Inside voice.” In a room full of 20 kids ranging in age from five to fifteen, things can get a little chaotic and no one needs to shout. But if we were to take it outside and talk about how joyful we are that the Lord loves us, I think I’d feel better about the shouting. There is no reason to whisper about our feelings towards God. We shouldn’t be embarrassed about his ability to fill us to capacity with joy. Don’t be ashamed to talk about how great He is or how He has enriched your life!
Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
The word “gladness” tends to throw me off. Sometimes when I should be worshipping, I’m making a “to-do” list in my head. There are Sundays when I walk into church hoping that the worship team is on-key and playing some really emotional songs. Whenever we step into a place of worship (whether it be a physical place of worship or just an emotional state), we should pursue a heart-posture of gladness.
I am not going to tell you that you shouldn’t have anger or frustration or sadness when it comes to God. But when you’re trying to worship, gladness is the appropriate emotion.
Know that the Lord is God.
This is why we go to church, why we read our Bible, why we pray. He is the reason for all of it and, if you’re like me, you have a tendency to forget that.
We do not exist to go to church. We exist to be a part of the holy community that God designed.
We do not exist to do good things. We exist to be empowered by God to extend his hope to other people through our deeds.
We do not exist merely to love people. We exist to share the love of Christ with other people.
The Lord is God and He has called you to exist in a time and a place. He has called you to exist to glorify him...in word and deed. Sometimes that means serving a meal at a soup kitchen. Sometimes that means ace-ing a science test. But, more importantly, it means reveling in his goodness and acknowledging how much we have to be thankful for.
It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pastures.
Quiet your own thoughts and let that sink in.
We. Are. His.
We. Are. His.
David writes it twice. So, you have plenty of time to slow down and let those words permeate your heart. You do not belong to your vices or your fears or your past or the expectations that someone else places on you. My friend, you belong to God.
You. Are. His.
Revel in that knowledge and consider how your actions reflect your gratitude for his possessiveness.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts of praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
We’re back to the idea of thanks and praise. When thanksgiving fills your heart, it pours out as joy and gladness (that word, again!). This shouldn’t be a once-a-year occurrence. This shouldn’t be a once-a-month occurrence. “Oh hey--it’s the tenth day of the month! Guess it’s time to be thankful, again.” No.
Friends, every day should begin with thanksgiving. When you wake up in the morning, take a moment to thank God for the moments of rest (however brief they may have been) and the opportunities that fill the day ahead.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
If you haven’t figured it out by now, I really like to make you slow down and reread (it’s the “teacher” coming out in me). So I’m going to make you do it again.
His. Love. Endures…
FOREVER.
God isn’t going to stop loving you if you forget to feed your cat one day or if you fail a math test. He’s not going to stop loving you if you don’t get into your top-pick college or if you don’t win first place in a cross-country race or if you bake a souffle and it falls. He’s not even going to stop loving you if you skip church one Sunday.
We serve a merciful God who loves us in spite of our imperfections and who will still find a way to use us. Thank God for His mercy and His grace and His desire to draw us closer to His chest. Thank God for His compassion when we fail. Thank God for His faithfulness!
That faithfulness is demonstrated with every sunrise and sunset. Every change of the season and every time that a kid tests my patience and I speak more loudly than I would like.
The Big Picture
By now, you may be tired of Psalm 100. You’ve read the chapter...and you’ve read each line...and you’ve read a few select phrases. But I’m going to make you read it one more time.
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pastures.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts of praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100
Now, it’s your turn. How does the Lord speak to you in this psalm? How is He using these words to stir your heart towards thanksgiving? How is He calling you to move...or be still?
Slow down. Stop and notice.