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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 pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with 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 100:1-5).
Thanksgiving—a time for us to focus on gratitude toward God for all he has done for us, for the blessings we have received. This particular psalm is an instruction for us to give grateful praise to God.
We have been told that we are to thank God in all things, in all circumstances, no matter the situation, for God does work all things for good. Sometimes, however, in those moments when things aren’t going well, perhaps you find it more difficult to praise the Lord.
When we are not feeling well or someone we love is sick it makes being happy in any way just a little more challenging—not to mention us being in the middle of a pandemic. These times can bring moments of sorrow.
But this psalm reminds us to worship the Lord with gladness, to come before him with joyful songs. God created you and me for the purpose of praising him. We are his! He can bring you the peace that you seek and draw you into a place of gratitude for his blessings and goodness. Lean into him, seek him and allow him to draw you close to his heart.
As you celebrate Thanksgiving this season, I pray that you will be reminded of God’s great love for you. That you will not only give thanks to God but that you will do it with grateful praise to our Father and King.
Song #331 in The Salvation Army Song Book is “Come Into His Presence.”
Come into His presence with thanksgiving in your heart
And give Him praise, and give Him praise
Come into His presence with thanksgiving in your heart
Your voices raise, your voices raise
Give glory and honor and power unto Him
Jesus, the name above all names
Jesus!
Come into his presence this Thanksgiving, shout with reckless abandon “glory to our King,” giving honor and praise to Jesus Christ. May God bless you and keep you in the palm of his hands this Thanksgiving season.
Do Good:
- Pick a Scripture study to follow this week and read one part each day for the next four days. On the fifth day, send it to someone you think would also benefit from it.
- See how you can get involved in the Fight for Good at westernusa.salvationarmy.org.
- Did you know The Salvation Army served more than 23 million Americans last year fighting hunger, homelessness, substance abuse and more—all in a fight for good? Where can you help? Take our quiz to find your cause and learn how you can join in today.
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