Psalms 100:1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. 2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath 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 unto him, and bless his name. 5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
This passage of scripture deals with the right attitude we should harbor towards serving The Lord, and the reasons are enumerated why we should do so with joy and gladness. First of all, the very fact that God is good, should cause praise and thanksgiving to spring forth spontaneously from our hearts, for it is remarkable that with omnipotent power at His disposal, He does not treat us as we deserve, but rather delights in mercy. Another point that is mentioned in the passage that is worthy of joyful praise, is the fact that we are created, which then gives us the opportunity to live forevermore, if we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior.
Yes, it is true that God has given us numerous instructions and laws to live by, but we must look past the laws themselves and see His good purposes in giving them in the first place. The Sabbath of the fourth commandment was given so that we can have the seventh day of the week off from our hectic daily schedules, and thereby find rest and be rejuvenated by fellowship with Christ and other like-minded believers, before starting the weekly cycle all over again. Question: Is it a good law or is it bad? The creator of the universe has seen it fit to give us a day off every week, is that a bad idea or a good one? It's absolutely good and perfect and necessary, and that's why we are not to show up at church just because it is the right thing to do. We should also rejoice in God's goodness in giving us the day of rest for our own well-being, for every instruction in the Bible has been given with our best good in mind.
Some of the Hebrews back then had sadly fell into the snare of doing what is right, but with feelings of resentment in their hearts, so that whenever they attended church, or were conversing with each other, their speech often took the form of complaints about God, instead of reflecting on His goodness and mercy manifested in their behalf from day to day. But there were others who chose to dwell on God's kindness and love, and their conversations were especially marked by God, as being the right response to all that He continues to do in behalf of the entire human family, and because of this attitude of praise and thanksgiving, a special book of record was written in the heavenly courts to immortalize their words and deeds. Let's read:
Malachi 3:13 Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? 14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? 15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. 16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. 17 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
In our day we need to often stop by God's throne of grace, not to make complaints nor to murmur against Him, but to reflect on His great mercy towards us in sending Christ to die in our stead, and when we keep His ongoing love for us ever before our faces, we will serve The Lord with gladness and come before Him with thanksgiving, as our passage for today states. We therefore end with a passage of scripture that invites us to taste and see that The Lord is good, and it is our sincere hope and desire that everyone will praise Him for His excellent and matchless love, for his kindness is renewed to us every morning, and His faithfulness extends to all generations. Let's read:
Psalms 34:8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
May this be our experience today, and for the rest of our lives. God bless!