Psalms

This is a call to praise and thanksgiving.  It serves as a kind of benediction to the previous Psalms that were grouped together.  These Psalms are called the Royal Psalms; Psalm 93, 95-100.  These Psalms speak of the sovereign rule of God and how all nations should recognize that and sing His praises.  All men should sing a song of thanksgiving to the Lord.  We bring our praise and worship to the Lord in many ways.    

With each day we are closer to our glorified state when we will no longer have to deal with sin.  We will one day enter into His courts and His presence.  When we are there, will we mouth the words quietly like we do in church?  Will our focus wander to other things?  Will we worry about lifting our hands for fear of being viewed as a fanatic or Jesus freak?  

I think we will be so overwhelmed with the glory of God none of these things will enter into our mind.  I think we will look on all our previous worship as pitiful because of our lack of understanding His amazing holiness.  I long for that day.  As I long for it, I make a joyful noise to the best of my ability, all the while knowing this body of flesh constrains me from complete worship in His presence.

A Psalm of Thanksgiving.

¹ Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!

This is a call for universal worship.  All the lands receive a call to worship and to do so joyfully. 

Revelation 7

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰ and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" ¹¹ All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying:


" Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen."

² Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.

Why do we sing to the Lord?  Is our praise offered with gladness and joy?  If our eyes are on Him and longing for the day when we are face to face, can we be anything but glad and joyful regardless of the stuff we go through in this life.  We are each called to serve the Lord.  This is a call to minister to Him, to serve in His courts, sing His praise and be at His beckon call. 

Many will stand before Him and offer excuses that sounded so good here on earth. "Lord I didn't know how." Or "Lord, I didn't really have time."  That which gets our time and attention is the priority of our life.  Where does the Lord fall on your list? 

We should each find that for which we are called.  He has equipped each of us and given each of us opportunities.  It's time to step into our calling and serve so that the church is complete.  Then, we will be walking in the Spirit, in the joy of the Lord and come into His presence with singing.

Hebrews 13:15

¹³ Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. ¹⁴ For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. ¹⁵ Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

³ Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
He created us.  We are His people (whether we acknowledge and believe it or not).  We are His sheep.  It is His pasture.  It's all His and the sooner we learn these facts and appreciate them, the sooner we will let go of trying to be our own god and lord over our own life.

This is a declaration of God's sovereignty over each of us.  How do we affirm God's rule over our life?

⁴ Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
The Psalmist may have entered the gates of the temple to give thanksgiving.  He may have entered the courts to sing his praise.  We enter into His presence by the Holy Spirit.  We enter the gates in that we identified with Christ.  He has gone to the real temple and into the real holy of holies on our behalf.  He is speaking our name to God the Father, interceding for us.  Then a day will come when we personally will enter into those courts and gates to sing.  Warm up your voice, practice your praise, He is coming soon.

⁵ For the LORD is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

These 3 facts are enough to keep us on our knees for the rest of our life. 

• The Lord is good.
• His mercy is everlasting.
• His truth endures to all people across time.

If we truly seek to understand just how good He is and how merciful He has been toward us, we will sing for eternity.  That mercy never runs out, His grace is sufficient in all our life and circumstances.  He never changes.  He is truth and that truth endures forever and ever.  It never wears out.

In verses 1 and 2 we see our worship and praise should be joyful.  In verse 3 we see it should be submissive.  And then finally in verse 4 and 5 we see it should thankful.  Is your praise of the sovereign God joyful, submissive and thankful?

Amen.