“Give Thanks Unto Him”

Psalms 100:1-5

            Are we as thankful to God as we should be? This is something I’ve thought about quite a bit, and I have had to ask myself. Am I really as appreciative and grateful to God as He deserves for me to be? When things are going good and the money’s there and the cars are running and everyone is healthy, it is very easy to be thankful, but, when things get hard, it seems to become a little bit more difficult to be as thankful. All the reasons I had for being thankful before are still there, so I have just as much reason to be thankful, but instead of focusing on those things, it is easy to focus on the problems of life. There is  a song we sometimes sing called When Upon Life’s Billows.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

That is so true. When it becomes more difficult to be thankful, if we will just take a “time out” and “count our many blessings, naming them one by one” it just may “surprise us what the Lord hath done.” As we do that, we may become more thankful for all that God has done, and whatever it is we are going through in our lives may not seem quite so bad after all.

Over in the gospel of Luke, Jesus shows us that there is a relationship between the forgiveness of God, and our love for Him. He had been invited to a Pharisee’s house, named Simon, to eat. While he was there, a woman who had a reputation for being a sinner, came in and washed His feet with her tears, she dried them with her hair, she put perfume on them, and she kissed them. When Simon saw that, he began to think to himself that that was proof that Jesus was not who He claimed to be, because, he thought, if He was, He wouldn’t allow that to take place and for her to touch Him. Jesus knows what is on the hearts of men, though, and He knew what was on Simon’s heart. So, he said, “He has something to say to him.” He said, “Say on.” Then in Luke 7:41-43, He said,

A certain lender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred shillings, and the other fifty. When they had not wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most? Simon answered and said, He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

And, in verse 47: “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” On the basis of forgiveness alone, we should be as grateful as that woman was.  If we are a Christian, He has forgiven us a debt that we could never be able to pay. If we owed the bank more money than we could ever pay back, how would we feel if someone else came along and paid that debt for us? How grateful would we be to that person? That is exactly what Jesus has done for us!

            That is, by far, not the only thing that we have to be thankful to God for, but when is the last time that you have taken a “time out” and thought of all of the things God has done for you? That would be a long “time out” if we were to really try to consider everything. When is the last time we really poured our hearts out to God and said, “thank you”?

            In the book of Psalms, we find a lot of great examples of how we are to be thankful to God, along with the expressions of those who were filled with a healthy attitude of thankfulness. You really can’t read too far in the book of Psalms without reading expressions of thanksgiving. “Sing praise unto Jehovah, O ye saints of his, And give thanks to his holy memorial name” (Ps. 30:4). “I will give thee thanks in the great assembly: I will praise thee among much people” (Ps. 35:18). “Offer unto God the sacrifice of thanksgiving; And pay thy vows unto the Most High” (Ps. 50:14). “Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving; Let us make a joyful noise unto him with psalms” (Ps. 95:2). “And let them offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving, And declare his works with singing” (Ps. 107:22). These were people who were truly thankful to God, they knew why they were so thankful, and they expressed it to Him. They show to us the attitude that we should have.

            When we go and look in the card-shop for a card for someone, we don’t just pick up the first card that we see, it has to say what we want said to the person we are getting it for. If it’s someone’s birthday, we don’t get him a graduation card, or anniversary card, those cards are going to say the wrong thing. We don’t get a girl’s card for a boy, and we don’t get a sweet 16 birthday card for someone turning 40. When we pick out that birthday card, it is important that it says the right thing, because, even though it is someone else’s words, those are our sentiments that we are expressing to that person through that card; what it says, is what we are saying to that person with that card. If we were searching through the book of Psalms for a psalm that expressed how thankful we are to God, could we find one, or would they be too over-the-top, or too mushy, or too involved? If there are no psalms of thanksgiving that reflect our own gratitude, it may be an indication that we aren’t quite as thankful as we should be.

            There are many differences between a card, and the nice things that we read in the book of Psalms, and among those, is the fact that, with a card, we keep looking until we find a card that matches the way that we feel, but with something we read out of the Bible, we keep looking within ourselves and we change our heart until we match up with it. We can’t change the Bible, but we can change us

            Psalm 100 is one of those Psalms that, instead of putting back in the card rack, we should learn from it. It is a psalm of thanksgiving. It’s a short Psalm, only five verses, but it says,

Make a joyful noise unto Jehovah, all ye lands. Serve Jehovah with gladness: Come before his presence with singing. Know ye that Jehovah, he is God: It is he that hath made us, and we are his; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Give thanks unto him, and bless his name. For Jehovah is good; his lovingkindness endureth for ever, And his faithfulness unto all generations.

            One of the things we can learn from this Psalm is…

(I) We All Have Reasons To Be Thankful

            Sure, it is true that we are commanded to be thankful: “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were called in one body; and be ye thankful” (Col. 3:15); and “in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you-ward” (1Thes. 5:18). That’s direct, to the point, and makes it clear what God expects from us with regards to being thankful. That should be all we need to do it, but, at the same time, it reminds me a little bit of my mom or dad telling me, when I was a kid and asked them why I had to do something, “because I said so, that’s why.” That was all the reason I needed, but it didn’t satisfy my curiosity; that wasn’t exactly the why that I was looking for.

Psalms 100 gives us other reasons for why we ought to be thankful. We still find things that tell the reader to “Make a joyful noise” (100:1), “Serve Jehovah with gladness” (100:2a), “Come before his presence with singing” (100:2b), “and Know ye that Jehovah, he is God” (100:3). These were all things that the reader was to do, but it wasn’t just to the reader that the psalmist is talking to here, he says, “all ye lands” in verse 1; he is including the entire earth; everyone alive. Why? Because, “It is he that hath made us” (verse 3). So far as God being the Creator, He is the Creator of us all!  All the people of the earth are one human family created by God. No matter how much we may be different in complexion, languages, culture, or anything else, we are all created by God. That is why He says, “all ye lands” should “make a joyful noise,” and “serve with gladness,” and “come before his presence with singing.” The entire human race should be thankful to God because He made us. We should thank God for life.

            “We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture” (verse 3). Just as the painting belongs to the painter, the created belongs to the creator. We are “His people” because He created us and gave us life. And, just as a shepherd guards his sheep, and feeds them, and cares for them, God will do the same for us.

            There are four more imperatives in verse four, beginning with, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving”, but then we are told why again: (1) for Jehovah is good; (2) “his lovingkindness endureth for ever”; (3) “his faithfulness unto all generations”. Not only did God create us, but He didn’t create us and then abuse and mistreat us. He didn’t create us and then neglect us. He created us and then He was merciful to us, He is gracious, He is loving, while remaining truthful and faithful to us always. These are all things that we should be grateful for, including all the ways that these traits of God are manifested to us—like giving His Son and providing a scheme of redemption for mankind.

            What else might we learn from this psalm?

(II) Our Thankfulness Can Be Misdirected

            The King James translates verse 3: “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves.” We did not create ourselves, but were created by God. Our gratitude would be misplaced if we were to thank ourselves as if we were self-created, because it was God who created us and our gratitude should be directed toward Him.

            In similar fashion, we can misdirect our thankfulness by becoming puffed up and thanking ourselves for being so self-worthy of salvation. “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Ro. 3:10). If we were to be measured by our own efforts, we would all come up short. If we could get into heaven by our own efforts, or by our own merit, we wouldn’t need Christ because we could do it ourselves. But, He did for man what man could not do for himself, He lived a perfect life so that He could die on that cross in our place. Ephesians 2:8 tells us that we are saved by grace, but if when we are saved, we are only receiving what we deserve, then it is no longer grace, but payment of what is owed. There was a Pharisee in Luke 18 that seemed to think that God somehow owed him.

And he spake also this parable unto certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and set all others at nought: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I get. But the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breast, saying, God, be thou merciful to me a sinner. I say unto you, This man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (Lk. 18:9-14)

            Both of the men in the parable were Jews and in a covenant relationship with God. So, the contrast that is being made in this parable is not between someone who is an alien sinner and someone who is a Christian, they were both Jews. The difference between these to men was in their attitude when they came before God in prayer. It tells us that the Pharisee “stood”, or struck a pose. Why might a person strike a pose when they pray in public? It could be to look really holy to other people. If you just stand there, or sit someplace and pray to yourself, it just doesn’t look quite the same as if you get in a certain position and really look like you are really praying hard. He didn’t seem to feel the need for God to pardon him for anything, as if he was above error. He looked over at the publican and contrasted himself with him, seeming to assume that the publican was corrupt and immoral. He then told God how great he was and bragged on himself as if God should somehow feel privileged to have him on his side. In that short little prayer, he used the word “I” five times, which may show where his focus really was.

            Then there was the publican. He stood “afar off”; he wasn’t there to be seen by others. Trying to stand a certain way so that other people might think he was super spiritual had nothing to do with why he was there or what he was doing. He would not even “lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven.” He was sincere, and he beat upon his own breast out of his own inner turmoil. Rather than bragging on himself, he was humble, he confessed to God that he was a sinner, and Jesus said that he “went down to his house justified rather than the other.”

            When we start thanking ourselves for things, no matter what those things are, spiritual or not, the more we thank ourselves, the less we are going to be thanking God.

For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse: because that, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. (Ro. 1:20-22)

When we stop looking to God as our source of strength, life, and guidance, we tend to become unthankful to our creator.

(III) We Should Be Thankful All The Time

            When does God stop being our creator; is there a time when that is not true? No! Well, if one of the reasons that the psalmist gives us for being thankful to God is because He created us, then that is something that we can be thankful for all the time because at no time is that not true. So long as we are alive here upon this earth and we wake up to see another day, we can be thankful to God for that.

            What was another reason for our thankfulness to God? He is good and merciful to us. Is there any time that is not a true statement about God? He is always good, merciful, and faithful, which means, we always have those things to be thankful for.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Even as it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Ro. 8:35-39)

That is a tremendous thing! Even in “tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword”, He still loves us and there is nothing and no one who can change that. Only we can separate ourselves from His blessings.

            Why else are we to be thankful? We are his sheep (verse 3). The wolves may threaten us, the lions may want us, but we belong to the Lord and He cares for His sheep.

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep. He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf snatcheth them, and scattereth them: he fleeth because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know mine own, and mine own know me, even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. (Jn. 10:11-15)

Jehovah is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside still waters. He restoreth my soul: He guideth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and lovingkindness shall follow me all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house of Jehovah for ever. (Ps. 23:1-6)

            It’s easy to be thankful when everything is going well for us, but what about when things are not going to well? When tragedy strikes, one of the first places where people often turn to place the blame is God. “Why did He let this happen?” “Why doesn’t He take care of it?” But, He still loves us and He still cares for us. If there were ever a time when we should be thankful for that, it is when we are going through difficult times, because that is when we should be grateful for Him and His care for us the most. It is in man’s shortcomings and weaknesses that our dependence on God is the most evident.

Conclusion

            In Luke chapter 17 we read an account of both thankfulness, and the lack of it. Beginning in verse 11, it says,

And it came to pass, as they were on their way to Jerusalem, that he was passing along the borders of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off: and they lifted up their voices, saying, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go and show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, with a loud voice glorifying God; and he fell upon his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were not the ten cleansed? but where are the nine? Were there none found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger? And he said unto him, Arise, and go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. (Lk. 17:11-19)

Every one of those lepers had more than enough reason to return to Jesus and as the one had done, but only one of them returned, glorifying God and giving thanks. In a way, we can see the tendency of mankind in those 10 lepers. The psalmist there in psalm 100 said, “Make a joyful noise unto Jehovah, all ye lands….” and “give thanks unto him…” (verses 1 and 4). We all have reason to glorify God with thanksgiving, but how many actually do? “Were not the ten cleansed?”, asked Jesus. “Where are the nine?” Were not we all created by Him, but, “where are the nine”?

            Where are we? Are we more like the one who returned to thank Jesus or the nine who were healed, and then just continued on somewhere else? We actually have far more to be thankful for than that leper. Jesus healed him physically, but He has healed us spiritually and taken away from us the guilt of sin. Have we returned to say “thank you”? Is it properly directed and constant? Give “thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father” (Eph. 5:20).