Jesus’ Final Song

       “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives” (Matthew 26:30).  According to Jewish tradition, Psalms 113 and 114 were sung prior to the Passover meal and Psalms 115 through 118 were sung after its completion.  As…

Give Thanks

Give Thanks      For the child of God, thanksgiving is to be a continuous occurrence.  God commands His children “in everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).  Psalm 100 gives seven reasons for thanksgiving.  The first four are found in verse 3—”Know that the Lord, He is God; it…

Giving Thanks

       The placement of Psalm 100 in the book of Psalms is most appropriate.  A consistent thread running through Psalms 92-99 is the sovereignty of God.  “You, Lord, are on high forevermore…The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty…the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods…Say among…

Thanksgiving for the Past and the Present

       Psalm 66 throbs with praise and thanksgiving like voltage from a huge electric generator.  From its initial burst of “Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!” (v. 1) to its conclusion of “Blessed be God Who has not turned away…

Thank God for His Goodness

       The theme of Psalm 107 is easy to determine.  “Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” echoes resoundingly through the psalm (see vv. 8, 15, 21, 31).  In various settings of life, the…

Singing with Thanksgiving

       Praising God is never to be a perfunctory matter.  In the Old Testament, the exhortation is to “sing to the Lord with thanksgiving” (Psalm 147:7); in the New Testament, it is to sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord, “giving thanks…