Psalms 100:1-5 A Psalm of Thanksgiving. Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! 2 Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. 3 Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.
Many families across the U.S. are gathering today to celebrate “Thanksgiving.” But let’s take a moment to turn our hearts to the ultimate source of thanksgiving: God Himself. Psalm 100 is often called the “Psalm of Thanksgiving,” and it’s a perfect guide for how we should approach God—not just during Thanksgiving but every day.
Most people overlook the “Psalm of Thanksgiving” as just an introductory comment, but it holds deep significance as part of the inspired Hebrew text. The Hebrew word for “thanksgiving” in this passage, “todah” refers to offering a thanksgiving sacrifice — so the Psalm is about a heartfelt act of gratitude through worship!
The psalm begins with a call to action: “Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!” (Psalm 100:1). It’s not just a gentle nudge; it’s a call for everyone to lift their voices in joyful praise. Why? Because God deserves it! He is our Creator, our Sustainer, and our Good Shepherd.
Verses 2 and 3 invite us to serve the LORD with gladness and know that He is God. This isn’t just about singing songs or saying prayers—it’s about serving with a heart full of joy and truly knowing Him. When we know God deeply, we recognize that we belong to Him. We are His people, His sheep. The illustration of us being sheep reminds us that we are defenseless without Him—dependent on His care, His guidance, and His protection.
The psalm continues with an invitation to “enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise” (Psalm 100:4). Picture yourself coming into God’s presence, not empty-handed, but carrying a heart full of gratitude. Why? Because, as verse 5 reminds us, the LORD is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.
Consider this passage — the Psalmist declares that God’s goodness doesn’t fade, His mercy never runs out, and His truth stands firm forever. I don’t know about you, but that’s worth shouting about!
So ask yourself, “Are you thankful to be alive? Are you grateful for God’s protection, provision, and presence?”
Then don’t keep it to yourself—shout it out! Serve Him with gladness, know Him intimately, and worship Him with all your heart. When we approach God with thanksgiving and praise, we align our hearts with the truth of who He is—a good, merciful, and faithful God who loves us beyond measure. Truly, this message is not just a Thanksgiving message … but instead, it’s an invitation to make every day a day of Thanksgiving!
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Isaiah’s vision looks ahead — not only to the Arm of the LORD revealed in the Exodus or even in the cross, but to the day when that same Arm will come again in glory. This is not a picture of brute force but of purposeful arrival. The Z’roah — the Arm of the LORD — comes clothed with strength to establish His rule, and He does not come empty-handed. His reward is with Him, and His work is before Him. The promise is sure: He is coming, and He is rewarding.
Isaiah recalls the Exodus as the supreme display of God’s Z’roah, His Arm of glory. Though the people saw Moses raise his staff over the Red Sea, it was not Moses’ power that split the waters. Behind the prophet’s hand was the Arm of the LORD — majestic, glorious, and unstoppable. The sea parted not to honor Moses, but to exalt the Name of the God who sent him. The Red Sea became a stage for God to reveal His glory, so that His Name would echo through generations as the Deliverer of His people.
Jeremiah uttered these words when everything around him looked hopeless. Babylon’s armies surrounded Jerusalem, the city was on the brink of destruction, and yet God told Jeremiah to buy a field as a prophetic sign that restoration would come. The prophet responded in awe: the God who created the heavens and the earth by His outstretched arm (bizroa netuyah) is not bound by human circumstances. The same God who set galaxies in place and boundaries for the seas is the God who still moves to redeem His people. Truly, nothing is too hard for Him.
Isaiah’s words summon one of the most dramatic images of God’s saving power: the Z’roah — the Arm of the LORD — cutting Rahab in pieces and piercing the dragon.
Here, Rahab is not the woman of Jericho but a poetic name for Egypt (Psalm 87:4), often symbolizing arrogant nations and the dark spiritual powers behind them. In Hebrew poetry, Rahab also evokes the sea monster of chaos, a stand-in for the forces that oppose God’s order. To say the Arm “cut Rahab in pieces” is to recall how God shattered Egypt’s pride and broke the grip of the powers that enslaved His people.
Psalm 98 is a victory psalm — a call to lift up a “new song” because the Z’roah, the holy arm of the LORD, has brought decisive triumph. In Hebrew thought, the arm is the active extension of the will, the power that brings intention into reality. To call it “holy” is to declare that it is set apart, dedicated fully to God’s purpose, incapable of corruption. The psalmist celebrates that salvation is not a hidden act, but an open demonstration — God’s righteousness revealed before the eyes of the nations.
This is one of the most intimate revelations of the Z’roah in Scripture. God looks for a human intercessor but finds none. No man can bridge the gap. So His own Arm accomplishes the work. In Hebrew, v’tosha lo zeroa — “His arm saved for Him” — reveals that salvation originates from within God Himself, not from any outside help. Isaiah adds that His own righteousness sustained Him — it upheld His resolve to save — and His fury upheld Him, a holy passion that would not rest until justice was accomplished.
To “bare” the arm means to roll up the sleeve and reveal the full readiness for action. In Isaiah’s prophecy, this is a global unveiling — no longer hidden, the Z’roah is on display for all nations to witness. This speaks directly of Yeshua’s (Jesus’) public ministry and, ultimately, His crucifixion.