Psalm 100:1-5 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

This Psalm was written by someone who knew what it was to overflow with gratitude to God in a way that draws you in and compels you to join him. He has simply thrown caution and every care to the wind and set his focus on who God is – the Creator and Shepherd of his people. A good shepherd never abandons his flock rather he goes before them to clear a path for them. Jesus reminds us in John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” That is something to rejoice about and be thankful for! Like Father, like Son!

“For the Lord is good…;” I know that some contend that if God is so good, why are things so chaotic. The fact is that man has created the chaos by his disobedience. Yet God has not abandoned what he has created. His Word reminds us that “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.” (Psalm 24:1-2). Believers are not to succumb to fear or confusion because God is still sovereign, awesome, just and permanent. That is reason for thanksgiving. Thank you God! Here is a perspective the Holy Spirit dropped into my consciousness some years ago: “Where you see chaos, I see a change in the order of things.” So, friend, do not concentrate on the chaos but on the God who is in charge of everything.

God’s love endures forever. He has demonstrated this in the gift of his Son. He has established a basis for our relationship with him – faith in Jesus Christ. God’s faithfulness continues through all generations. He has demonstrated it in the beauty of the earth and the gifts he gives daily – life, health, sunshine and rain, harvests, parents, children, shelter, jobs. Let us not take these for granted – take inventory of the mercies that have been extended to you and your family circle in recent months, and take a moment to give thanks to God. I hear a lot in media at this time of year that begins: “I am thankful for………” but the person to whom one is thankful is conveniently omitted. What a travesty! We are alive and breathing but cannot bring ourselves to thank God.

“Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! (Psalm 107:31, NKJV).