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]Charles Swindoll wrote about these men who bring in animals from Africa for American zoos. They say that one of the hardest animals to catch there is the ringtailed monkey. For the Zulus of that continent, however, it’s simple. They’ve been catching this agile little animal with ease for years.
I came across an old legend about three cowboys crossing the desert on horseback by night. Suddenly, as they reached a rocky spot, a voice came from heaven and commanded them: “Friends, pick up some pebbles, put them in your pockets and do not look at them till morning.” The men looked at each other in astonishment and began to do as they were told. The voice went on to promise that if they obeyed, they would be both glad and sad. The perplexed men put a few pebbles each in their pockets and went on their way.
Once upon a time, there was a prince who received a very rare and beautiful bird. He named her Goldie and placed her in a lovely, 14K gold cage. But the poor creature was not impressed by the gold at all. She pleaded for her freedom but the prince loved her much too much to part with her. Still, she continued to beg. In final desperation, she asked that he at least allow her go to her relatives and tell them that, though captive, she was still alive.
The baby that came into the world through the scenario above was named Ishmael. According to Islamic belief, it was Ishmael that was offered as a sacrifice by Abraham, and through him that they became the rightful inheritors of the promises of God. In other words, Ishmael was the seed through which Islam was born. Hmmm.
When Jim Burke became the head of a new products division at Johnson & Johnson, one of his first projects was the development of a children’s chest rub. The product failed miserably, and Burke expected that he would be fired. When he was called in to see the chairman of the board, however, he met a surprising reception. “Are you the one who just cost us all that money?” asked Robert Wood Johnson. “Well I just want to congratulate you. If you are making mistakes, that means you are taking risks, and we won’t grow unless you take risks!” Apparently, Mr. Johnson wasn’t joking! Years later, Johnson & Johnson remains one of the largest multi-national manufacturers of pharmaceutical, diagnostic, therapeutic, surgical, personal hygiene, baby and biotechnology products.
In her book, Let Me Be a Woman, Elizabeth Elliot records the story of a friend who had great difficulty accepting the looks God had given her. While everyone this girl knew had grown beautiful golden hair, hers was black. And while they were all still growing, she had stopped. She grew to be only about four feet ten inches tall.
“A young man enlisted, and was sent to his regiment. The first night he was in the barracks with about fifteen other young men, who passed the time playing cards and gambling. Before retiring, he fell on his knees and prayed, and they began to curse him and jeer at him and throw boots at him. So it went on the next night and the next, and finally the young man went and told the chaplain what had taken place, and asked what he should do. ‘Well,’ said the chaplain, ‘you are not at home now, and the other men have just as much right to the barracks as you have. It makes them mad to hear you pray, and the Lord will hear you just as well if you say your prayers in bed and don’t provoke them.’