A Little Word to Change Your Week

As many of you know, our church does the Fighter Verses program for memorizing Scripture together.  Last week we memorized the first half of Psalm 100 and this week we're memorizing the rest.

'Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into His presence with singing!
Know that the LORD, He is God!
It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving,
and His courts with praise!
Give thanks to him;
bless His name!
For the LORD is good;
His steadfast love endures forever,
and His faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 100

Last week on this blog I looked at the first half of this psalm, but tonight I want to look at verses 4 and 5.

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving,

and His courts with praise!

Give thanks to Him;

bless His name!

For the LORD is good;

His steadfast love endures forever,

and His faithfulness to all generations." 

I want to be more thankful.  I want to be able to be rejoicing in thanksgiving.  I want to and I know that I should be more thankful.  But how do I cultivate this thankful response to God?  How do I become this overflowing with praise?

Anytime in Scripture you read "for" or "therefore" you have to ask what the for is for or what the therefore is there for.  Notice the word "for" in this psalm.  What follows the word "for" is the fuel for all this thanksgiving and praise.

We "enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise" and we "give thanks to Him and bless His name" because of all that follows the word "for". 

Our's God's goodness causes us to be thankful people.  Our God is the definition of benevolence.  God doesn't simply do good, He is good. 

Our God's everlasting steadfast love causes us to be thankful people.  God doesn't have a love that is shaped by His present situation, nor does He have a love that can fade away.  God's love is steadfast; it is unchanging, it can't be greater or less because it is God-sized.  God's love also can never, ever end.  It won't fade away because it it a forever love. 

God's faithfulness inspires thanksgiving because it is a forever faithfulness.  God always keeps His promises.  His Word is always true.  When He says He will do something, it is sure.  As a parent my faithfulness isn't enduring; I make promises I won't keep and can't keep, but God isn't like this at all.  God's faithfulness isn't just for me either.  God's faithfulness is for me and my children and my children's children and my children's children's children.

Meditate on God's goodness, His eternally enduring steadfast love and everlasting faithfulness.  Think deeply on what this means for you.  If you are also memorizing this psalm then you will have plenty of occasions to do this.  Meditate on the last part of this psalm and you will be like the first portion of the psalm.

Consider Psalm 100 and be joyful, thankful and full of praise today.