In recent days Brother Charles Shipman preached a meeting for our church and used this passage as his text. May I begin by saying it was a very inspiring sermon and this article is as a result of that sermon. As the Lord began to open up this passage to me I began to see the real heart of the psalmist and why he was such a joyful person. As most of us who study the scriptures know, David was a man of great praise for God. If you have ever wondered how he could be this way you need not look any further. Psalm 100 tells us the reason for all his wonderful attitudes in his service to the Lord: the goodness of the Lord!
In verses one thru four there are five spiritual activities in which the writer is calling us to participate. However, all of these activities hinge on verse five, the reason for the activities. The goodness of the Lord, his mercy, and his truth are the source of all the right attitudes and expressions. It is like a tree that needs certain nutrients (i.e. water and sunlight) in order to produce fruit. In order for us to produce right attitudes, we need to draw from the right nutrients. The goodness of the Lord is that source which, when we root ourselves in it, will produce the desired activities mentioned in the first of the chapter.
Let's look briefly at these activities and the reason to do them.
I. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord.- The first word we see is 'make'. In order to make something we need materials to make it with. If we are going to make a joyful noise we are going to have to find something that will produce joy. Nothing can produce joy like the goodness of God. When a person is trying to be joyful, he does not need to think on joy, but on the goodness of God. This will naturally bring about joy.
II. Serve the Lord with gladness.- Service is one of those areas in which all of us could use a better attitude. The psalmist tells us to do it with gladness. To be glad we are serving the King is often times hard to produce, but if we will realize we are serving GOD, the God of all goodness, the God of all Mercy, and the God of all Truth, gladness will soon appear. I can not think of a greater joy than to be able to be his Servant and to dwell in his house and to hear his wisdom.
III. Come before his presence with singing.-Singing is another expression of a joyful attitude and here we are asked to come before him with a song in our heart. Oh, how God wants us to come to Him for all our needs and believe that He will do us good and not harm! The psalmist, also in another psalm, says we need to sing with the understanding. Understanding that the Lord is good should cause us to want to come to him more. Maybe this song will help you see what I mean: 'What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear....Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share.'
IV. Know ye that the Lord he is God.- There are some in this world who cringe at the thought of having to admit they were made by God. It is even more unthinkable to them to have to be His people and be ruled by Him. However, to those who have tasted of the Lord's goodness, the knowledge of God's power and greatness is longed for and searched for at great cost. Their desire is to be His people and feed in his pastures.
V. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving.- The simple words, thank you, are often times difficult to say and mean them. This is why we need to remember that the Lord is good. The scriptures say that we are to give thanks always for all things unto God.- Ephesians 5:20 It is hard for us to be thankful however for things that are not good, like sickness, death, trouble, and so on. But the Lord is not asking us to be thankful for the bad thing itself, but what God will produce with that hardship in our lives. When we look at the good that God will produce by it we can be thankful. Romans 8:28 says, 'And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.' The verse does not say that all things are good, but that good will be worked. It is for this work of goodness that we are to be thankful.
In conclusion, let me say once more that we need to root our lives in the love and goodness of God. When we do this, the fruit of thankfulness will be produced.
-Terry Owen