Psalms 100:4 - Thanksgiving and Praise.
Psalms 100:4 (KJV) Enter into his gates with
thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful
unto him, and bless his name.
COMMENTARY
The Password
Gratitude draws us near to God. Praise
for his beauty, love, and loyalty settles us in
his house. We can't see his beauty directly, but
we can see it in the beautiful and good things
he has made. His generosity in love means that
he showers us with it far beyond what we
deserve or even imagine. His loyalty means that he
will never withdraw his love for us. The apostle
Paul says, "Give thanks in all circumstances; for
this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus', (1
Thessalonians 5:18). The reason we can be thankful in all
circumstances is that God himself doesn't change.
The God who made billions of stars as
beautiful and powerful as our sun actually wants us to
become comfortable with the generosity he lavishes
on us. He wants us to awake every day to the
wonder that he has made us, preserves us in safety,
and provides for our needs. He wants us to
marvel at his generous gift of Jesus as a sacrifice
to rescue us from death.
The password to his heart is "Thank you."
A few minutes of saying thank you every
day will give you a taste of Gods beauty,
all-generous love, and loyalty. [The Daniel Plan 365-Day
Devotional]
Gratitude
Life is always less than perfect, so
there's always something to complain about if we
want to. But the Bible says, "Do everything
without grumbling or arguing" (Philippians 2:14).
Why? Because the negativity snowballs if we
entertain it. On the other hand, if we focus on the
things we have to be grateful for, we enter God's
gates with thanksgiving.
In The Daniel Plan we encourage you to
write down at least three things you're grateful
for every day. Writing them down for even a
couple of weeks can measurably increase your level
of happiness and contentment. It's also helpful
to tell someone what you're grateful for,
especially if it's something they have done. Saying
thank you uplifts both of you. And if there's a
concrete way you can show your gratitude, like doing
something for someone else or giving a gift, that will
root you even deeper into the fertile soil of
contentment.
If we meditate on what we're grateful
for, we will supercharge our moods and have a far
richer experience of God's powerful presence. [The
Daniel Plan 365-Day Devotional]
The Attitude of Gratitude
In the rich garden of virtues, gratitude
is not only the soil but the sunshine and the
rain - it is that vital. Gratitude is
thankfulness no matter what. It is the ability to take a
status report and then make a list of blessings.
While not blind to problems, concerns, and
deficits, it is the gift of being thankful for what we
have rather than complaining about what we don't.
Chester W. Nimitz was selected as
commander of the United States Pacific Fleet just 10
days after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December
7, 1941. On Christmas Day 1941 Nimitz toured
the terrible destruction in the harbor. Eight
battleships, three cruisers, four destroyers, and five
additional ships and one drydock of the Pacific Fleet
had been sunk or badly damaged. Aircraft damage
included 188 destroyed and 159 damaged. The raid had
killed 2,403 people (including 68 civilians) and
wounded 1,178. U.S. forces had been whipped badly.
Dejection, despondency, despair, and defeat filled
every face. Afterward someone asked Nimitz for his
thoughts. His reply was optimistic and upbeat,
pointing out that the enemy had made three huge
mistakes: 1. The attack on Sunday morning meant most
of the military personnel were ashore, so
casualties were comparatively light. 2. All the fuel
for the Pacific theater was still available,
because they hadn't thought to include fuel storage
tanks in the attack. 3. All but one of the
drydocks for ship repair were unscathed. Most of the
sunk or damaged ships were repairable, and,
sitting close in shallow water, they could be back
in business quickly.
Scientific research studies focusing on
gratitude and reports of wellbeing are getting
definitive and consistent results. In one study by
Emmons and McCullough (Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology 84, no. 2 [2003]: 377-389), those
who wrote down their gratitude experiences daily
enjoyed "higher levels of positive effect" and were
more likely to help others or offer emotional
support than those who journaled problems or neutral
issues. The gratitude group also accomplished more
of their personal goals. They also reported
higher levels of positive states," such as
enthusiasm, determination, and energy.
Lord, my heart bursts with gratitude to
You. First You gave me life, then You let me know
about Your love and gift of salvation and
protection from evil; and to top it off, You have given
me friends, family, and food to make the heart
glad. What more could I ask for? [God of Wonders
by David Steen]
CLOSING THOUGHT
There is so much pain, noise, and
confusion in our earthly lives that we can find it
difficult just to breathe. We face control issues,
power struggles, political battles, dishonesty,
family disagreements, arguments, crying, pain,
grief, pride, abuse, stubbornness, withdrawing,
addictions, bruises, disappointments, perfectionism,
fear, anxiety, worry, corporate ladders,
overwhelming responsibilities, taxes, debt, backbiting,
despair, cheating, mistrust, betrayal, stress,
relapse, lying, moral failure - the list is
never-ending.
Fortunately, God's Word says that he
himself gives breath to everything and satisfies
every need. When I feel totally overwhelmed by
life, I often read Psalm 23 aloud:
The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he
leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my
soul. He guides me along the right paths for his
name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest
valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You
prepare a table before me in the presence of my
enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup
overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the
house of the LORD forever.
When our souls are restless, we must take
time to rest in the lap of our King Jesus. No
matter what noise we are battling, we can always
find quietness in his presence.
Heavenly Father, I come to you ready to
give you everything I have, everything I am.
Thank you for helping me find quietness in the
midst of the noise. In Jesus' name, Amen.
[Celebrate Recovery Daily Devotional by John & Johnny
Baker re Acts 17:24-25]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Thankfulness opens the door to My
Presence. Though I am always with you, I have gone to
great measures to preserve your freedom of choice.
I have placed a door between you and Me, and I
have empowered you to open or close that door.
There are many ways to open it, but a grateful
attitude is one of the most effective.
Thankfulness is built on a substructure
of trust. When thankful words stick in your
throat, you need to check up on your foundation of
trust. When thankfulness flows freely from your
heart and lips, let your gratitude draw you closer
to Me. I want you to learn the art of giving
thanks in all circumstances. See how many times you
can thank Me daily; this will awaken your
awareness to a multitude of blessings. It will also
cushion the impact of trials when they come against
you. Practice My Presence by practicing the
discipline of thankfulness. (Psa. 100:4; 1Th. 5:18)
[Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
Let thankfulness rule in your heart. As
you thank Me for blessings in your life, a
marvelous thing happens. It is as if scales fall off
your eyes, enabling you to see more and more of
My glorious riches. With your eyes thus opened,
you can help yourself to whatever you need from
My treasure house. Each time you receive one of
My golden gifts, let your thankfulness sing out
praises to My Name. "Hallelujahs" are the language
of heaven, and they can become the language of
your heart.
A life of praise and thankfulness becomes
a life filled with miracles. Instead of trying
to be in control, you focus on Me and what I am
doing. This is the power of praise: centering your
entire being in Me. This is how I created you to
live, for I made you in My own image. Enjoy
abundant life by overflowing with praise and
thankfulness. (Col. 3:15; Acts 9:18; Rev. 19:3-6; Psa.
100:4) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
Psalms 100 - Praise and Thanksgiving to
Jesus!!!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211002-0934.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
[BEGINS October 15, 2021]
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
