ARTICLES

Thanksgiving is not merely reserved for the annual American celebration of Thanksgiving. It is a characteristic of the mature Christian life. Christians struggle; they have difficulties; they suffer. But in the middle of it all, there is open to us a life that is embedded with the spirit of thanksgiving.

Psalms like Psalm 100 can help us see why. It starts with singing. “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!” (Psalm 100:1). If your natural vocal abilities are somewhat below average, that is no reason to avoid singing to God. There is something of a dearth of singing in churches these days; you look around at some gatherings and wonder whether anyone is really singing at all. It is time to put all that to one side and throw back your throat, open your mouth wide, and sing—sing loudly!

“Come into his presence with singing” (Psalm 100:2). If you come into his presence with singing, it will stop you from coming into his presence with complaining. Or coming into his presence with grumbling. Do not take any chances; you come into his presence at church with one attitude or another. Start by singing. Hum the tune in the car. Listen to the tune on the radio on the way to church. Sing a hymn. Sing a praise song. And then you will not only sing when you are at church, but you will enter in that kind of frame of mind too. Come into his presence with singing.

Why all this loud singing? “For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations” (Psalm 100:5). There is in those words enough ammunition for voluminous thanksgiving to last you a lifetime—indeed an eternity. When all around you is bad, the Lord is constantly “good.” When all around you fades and fails, and when promises of love disappoint, his “steadfast love endures forever.” When all around you are faithless, “his faithfulness [is] to all generations.” Therefore rejoice, sing for joy, give thanks!