Our short psalm for this week, Psalm 100, is one that is a favorite of many people. It has been the basis for a number of hymns over the years. It is also frequently recited or sung at Thanksgiving church services in the U.S. and elsewhere. There are several points that the psalm makes. Let’s take a look at some of them.
One point that the unknown psalmist wanted to make was that Yahweh, alone, is God (vs. 3). At this time in the land of Israel and the surrounding countries many pagan gods were worshiped. Baal and Astarte were some of the myriad of gods and goddesses that the pagan neighbors tempted the Israelites to worship. The psalmist steadfastly proclaimed that Yahweh is the only God. We need to know that today, too. Neither Buddha nor Mohammed, nor any other man-made deity are gods. Nor is science god, as many have come to believe and act as if that were the case. Also, we, as humans, are not gods. Many people act as if they are, as if their will and desires are paramount, and that through the energy of their words or thoughts they can determine everything in their lives.
Proclaiming Who, alone, is God, our psalmist immediately leads into the fact that Yahweh is the Creator of everything - the universe, our planet, and all that is on earth, including ourselves (vs. 3). We are the product of His hand, not the product of mindless evolution. We are His people. God is our Creator. We did not create ourselves. He created us, and He gives us all we have. God is the Shepherd, we are His flock. He is our Father, we are His children. He is the Creator, we were formed by His hand.
Continuing on, our psalmist invites us to enter joyfully into God’s presence (vs. 4). God’s Word reminds us that as believers, redeemed through the Blood of Jesus Christ, we can come boldly to God’s throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). Praising God with thanksgiving will bring us through His gates and into His courts. Every believer, when coming into the Lord’s presence in prayer, should begin with thanksgiving and praise. It may not always be easy to wake up and start praising the Lord, but that is what we need to do every day. If we are going to see God’s glory, thanksgiving is the door that will lead us into His throne room.
What is our attitude towards worship? Do we willingly and joyfully come into God’s presence, or are we just going through the motions? We should always be worshiping with thanksgiving and praise. The Apostle Paul warned us that one of the signs of the last days will be ingratitude, both towards others and especially towards God (II Timothy 3:1-5). It is vitally important, both for our spirit and our relationship with God, to give thanks. We need to confess His goodness, praise Him, acknowledge, extol, and thank the Lord.
As our psalmist closes his psalm, he reminds us that the Lord God is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations (vs. 5). God is good. He is absolutely perfect, and holy. He, alone, is the standard of all righteousness. All He does is just and right. God does not change. He will always be good and merciful. When we are in desperate need of His love and mercy, we do not need to fear that God’s supply has run out. God’s mercy is everlasting. Everything else falls by the wayside, while God’s truth marches on, and does so forever.
The more that we are convinced of these truths, the more we will see God’s love for us every day. Satan tries to depict God as distant, angry, and wrathful. We can point to Scriptures like this to know that the truth is God is good, loving, and merciful, now and always. His faithfulness extends to us and beyond. The gates into the presence of God are always open to us.
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