Psalm 100:4-5 says “Enter his gates with
thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his
name. 5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues
through all generations” (NIV).
In verse 4 the Psalmist tells us we should give thanks to God and praise His name. In verse 5 the Psalmist goes on to give us 3 reasons why we should give thanks. So here are those reasons to give thanks and praise to God.
God is good.
“For the Lord is good…”
What the psalmist is pointing out here is part of the
character of God, part of what makes God…God. The
goodness of God is part of His very essence. It is part of His very DNA. When it comes to goodness or something being good, we understand it to mean something is favorable and right, rather than bad, wrong or
possibly even evil. With our understanding that God is good and what goodness entails, then we understand that in God there is nothing bad or evil. He is a holy God who loves us and shares His goodness with us.
Many times in life we look at the difficult events in our life and
we call into question where is the goodness of God in my situation. The loss
of a loved one, a relationship that ends badly, a job that is downsized, and
the list goes on. But just because we face a difficult circumstance here on earth or even live a
life constantly filled with adversities and difficulties
doesn't change the goodness of God. Ultimately it shouldn't give us a negative view of God or His goodness. What we ought to experience in those difficult times in
life is a greater appreciation for God’s goodness to us. We ought to have an attitude of thankfulness to God for
His goodness during those difficulties. If we see God for who He is, a loving, benevolent, good and
holy God then we will be thankful for all that
God does for us. Especially seeing us through those difficult times in life. Ultimately
the goodness of God is a reason we should give thanks to God and praise His
name.
Another reason to give thanks and praise to God is because...
God loves you.
“His love endures forever…”
For us, one of the greatest things we receive from God and can
be thankful for is His love. Like the psalmist says here in verse 5, “His love endures forever…”This is a
reason to be thankful on so many levels. Think first about God’s love. God’s
love for us is shown in many different ways. Through His provision, His care, His grace, His mercy and many other ways. The greatest way we've been shown God’s love was through
Christ dying on the cross for all of us. Romans
5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own
love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (NIV). God showed His love to you by allowing Jesus to die on the cross while you were
dead in your sins, so you could have your sins forgiven, a
perfect relationship with God, and eternal life.
But verse 5 tells us that not only does God love us, but
his love endures. This shows us the staying power of God’s love. It means God
doesn't love us for a short time and then discard us or give up on us. His love endures all of the mess we put ourselves through by sinning and disobeying
God. His love stands the test of time and we ought to be thankful for that.
Finally we see that this love of God that endures all of
our failures, it will endure forever. There is
no end to the love of God. God has loved us since before time existed and He will love us into eternity,
millions and billions of years from
now. It is like God says in Jeremiah 31:3 “I
have loved you with an everlasting love” (NIV). The everlasting and enduring nature of that love is all the more reason to
praise Him
and give thanks to Him.
Another reason to give thanks and praise to God is because...
God is faithful.
“His faithfulness
continues through all generations.”
God has proven Himself faithful for thousands of years
through the pages of Scripture, through the pages of church history, and
ultimately in your life. His
faithfulness to you is found in verses like Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave
you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." His faithfulness to His children is as enduring as His
love we mentioned previously.
Notice
what the psalmist says there in verse 5. He says “His faithfulness continues
through all generations.” Basically the psalmist is telling us that from Adam &
Eve until the final generation of people on earth God will be faithful to His
people. There
will never be a time when God is not faithful to you or to anyone else who’s
ever lived. God’s enduring faithfulness to you is deserving of praise and thanks.
God’s faithfulness to you in every aspect of your life
deserves your thanks and praise. Consider
His faithfulness to provide for you, love you, guide you, mold you, care for
you, and protect you. His faithfulness through all of that and
much more deserves at the least your thanks and at the
most your praise.
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