One of the movies scored by Irving Berlin’s musical talents was the 1942 Bing Crosby/Fred Astaire favorite, Holiday Inn.  The film is built around the premise that an entertainment venue in Connecticut would only be open on holidays. Berlin wrote music for each of the holidays like Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July, but the movie score is best remembered for Easter’s Easter Parade and the Christmas’ White Christmas.

 

Berlin (1888-1889) was a Russian American musician and composer, considered by many to be one of the greatest songwriters in the country’s history. Berlin’s songbook shapes a great portion of Americana music. During his sixty-year career, Berlin wrote about 1500 songs, including the music for 20 Broadway musicals and 15 Hollywood films. Of Berlin, America’s anchorman Walter Cronkite once said, “He helped write the story of this country, capturing the best of who we are and the dreams that shape our lives.”

 

For the Thanksgiving holiday, Berlin wrote, “I’ve got plenty to be thankful for; No private car, no caviar, no carpet on my floor; Still I’ve got plenty to be thankful for.” We do have plenty to be thankful for. Would you ponder a few moments on Psalm 100, and consider the things for which you are thankful?

 

our Scripture

Psalm 100

A thanksgiving psalm.

Shout out praises to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Worship the Lord with joy.
Enter his presence with joyful singing.
3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God.
He made us and we belong to him,
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise.
Give him thanks.
Praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good.
His loyal love endures,
and he is faithful through all generations (Psalm 100:1-5 NET).

Psalm  100 NIV Psalm  100 NASB Psalm  100 NLT Psalm  100 MESSAGE

 

our Lesson

 

Many theologians classify Psalm 100 with Psalms 93 through 99 as one of the “Royal Psalms.” These psalms praise God just because He is King of His people. These particular psalms are labeled in the Latin Vulgate translation as “Dominus Regnavit” – “The Lord Reigns!” More importantly, they are psalms which point the reader – and musician – to the Messiah.

Psalms are impassioned, vivid and descriptive. They are rich in images and imaginative use of language. The Psalms are filled with literary devices – assonance, alliteration, similes and metaphors – to enhance our understanding of the truths of the Bible.

In many ways, the Messianic Psalms are a devotional delight. They allow us to focus on an aspect of the Messiah or His kingdom with either a magnifying glass or a telescope. Psalms invite us to make an application that has been tailored just to fit our form and life.

Tucker and Grant, in their NIV Application Commentary Psalms Volume 2, list three significant challenges for our worship today from Psalm 100. The psalm encourages us that thanksgiving prompts worship. The three ideas are theirs, the comments following are mine.

  • Worship has an outward focus.

    Our worship services for the past decade have attempted to be “user-friendly” and more focused on the “un-churched.” There is no question that Psalm 100 compels the entire world to praise the Lord and acknowledge Him as King. The unbeliever is drawn to worship God by seeing us worship. Do our worship services explain why we praise? Do our songs explain that “the Lord reigns” like the Psalms?

[su_pullquote align=”right”]I was watching a “holiday baking competition” on the Food Network last night. They kept using phrases that captured my attention. They repeated the words “savor” and “savory” throughout the episode. The bakers were to not only make cakes sweet, but some of the cakes were to be savory. As the judges were tasting the food, one judge paused and commented that she just wanted to “savor” the amazing flavors. The heart of “savoring” is taking the time to add seasoning to the mix, and taking the time to enjoy it.

For your gratitude this Thanksgiving, how do you sprinkle “grace” into the moments of your life? Take the time right now to “savor” how God has been gracious to you.[/su_pullquote]

But God’s people need a time to be encouraged and study the Word of God together, apart from unbelievers who do not understand and respect His authority and words. We are called to fellowship with one another. The fellowship of the faith is more than just giddy joy or sharing a meal together in a special place called “Fellowship Hall.” Our fellowship is ground in a worldview that looks to the authority of Scripture for decisions in life, an understanding of how to apply those Scriptures to 21st century circumstances, and the wisdom to explain and communicate those truths to others in a loving and compassionate way.

Perhaps our morning worship should be filled with shouts of praise and the “milk” of the Word, and an evening worship should be for the faithful with songs of praise and petition, and encouragement and challenge from the “meat” of the Word. Would that pattern more closely follow the separation of the courts of the Gentiles and the Jewish worship in the temple?

  • Worship is a joyful act.

    Time after time the Psalms encourage us to shout to the Lord. Many of the psalms were intended to be sung, either in the actual worship service, or on the roads as the faithful traveled to Jerusalem for the celebration. There is no place where the psalmist demands the pitch must be perfect or the harmony blissful. Most of our worship services are filled with spectators – not the unchurched visitor, but the unmotivated believer. Wasn’t it Jesus that mused that if we don’t shout, the rocks will end up crying out?

Some have argued, “Well, I don’t always feel like jumping and shouting during worship.” I think that may be the exact point. We need to be joyful in worship because we don’t always feel like it. Circumstances, people and the weight of stress take their toll on our joy. Worship places circumstances and people in their perspective. Joy declares that I know that my God is in control, and that He reigns over my circumstances, my enemies and me.

When my actions are obedient in worship, my emotions will eventually follow. Wasn’t it the Psalmist who said, “You have turned my mourning into dancing” (Psalm 30:11)? When we worship with joy, we declare to the watching world that we understand who really does turn mourning into dancing.

  • In worship, we approach the King.

    So many of the “Royal Psalms” include the phrase, “The Lord reigns.” You don’t have to say it in so many words to believe its truth and understand its implications. The phrase “The Lord reigns” is the cry at the outset of several of these “Royal Psalms” (Psalm 93:1; Psalm 96:10; Psalm 97:1; Psalm 99:1; compare with Psalm 47:8). There is a distinct difference in the flavor of these verses when compared to a timeless statement like Psalm 95:3. If nothing else, the phrase should end with an exclamation mark!

We walk a fine line when we approach God in worship. On the one side of the line, we are reminded that we are approaching God, our Father, in worship. He invites us to come to the throne and share with Him on the intimacy level of a father and child. But on the other side of the line, we must always be aware that we are approaching the throne room of the King. Our demeanor should be respectful and filled with awe.

Although this analogy falters, can you remember a time when you talked with a grandparent and were filled with awe and wonder? Perhaps they showed you relics from their past, or shared with you moments from the experiences of their life? You were in awe because they opened a world to you that you did not know existed. They gave insights from their wisdom and experience. They loved you in a way that seemed unconditional, in no way tied to your behavior or even your obedience. You were indebted to them just for who they are.

  • In worship, we approach God together.

The psalmist encourages us to enter into God’s gates with thanksgiving. The imperative is collective in nature, picturing throngs of faithful coming into the Temple and into God’s presence. While worship is a personal thing, we gain immensely when we worship within the fellowship of believers. We are held accountable, but we are also held up by the comfort and support of people who know us, care for us and love being with us in God’s house.

 

our Devotion for Thanksgiving

It is interesting that Psalm 100 is the only Psalm that specifically identifies itself as “a thanksgiving psalm.” Expressions of thanks fill the verses of all 150 psalms. But following a series of psalms that focus on the coming King and His Kingdom, the faithful people of God can do nothing but give thanks.

 

The Lord is good.

 

The Lord was good when I was young and filled with energy and just as filled with hopes and dreams. The Lord smiled as I studied hard and played harder. The Lord approved as I mapped out plans, built barns and planted crops. The Lord rejoiced with my joy, strengthened my steps, provided light for my path, and guided my way.

 

The Lord is good.

 

The Lord was good when I was older and working hard to support a family. The Lord provided places to live and work, to raise children in the faith, to find friends and support, to prosper in ways I didn’t always understand and to gather with other believers to worship each week. The Lord watched over us as we moved, and lived and breathed. The Lord comforted when plans disintegrated. He mourned as I cried and was disheartened. He restored hope by giving life to dead bones. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

 

The Lord is good.

 

The Lord is good when my days are few, when my ears are ringing and when my fingers are feeble. The Lord watches as my steps falter, my mind wanders, and my eyesight fails. The Lord stands with me as my children are grown and have taken the mantle of faith. The Lord has blessed us and kept us. His face has shined upon us. The Lord has been gracious. His favor has been upon us and our children

 

and their children

 

and their children.

 

The Lord is good.

 

And I am thankful.