Focus: Reason For Rejoicing (Pt.1)

Text: Ps.100:4

"Enter into his gates with THANKSGIVING, and into his courts with PRAISE: be THANKFUL unto him, and BLESS his name."

There is always a reason behind everything we do. When we cry or laugh, there is a reason. When we are angry or happy, there is a reason. When we sigh or sing, there is a reason. When we lament or celebrate, there is a reason. 

Right now, we are in the season of thanksgiving, and there is a reason for this season of rejoicing or thanksgiving. It is the end of the year, and God has preserved us from the first month to the last month of the year. Moses tells Israel, "A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the BEGINNING of the year even unto the END of the year" (Dt.11:12). The eyes of the Lord have been on us from the beginning of the year to the end of it. God has cared for us and still cares for us. 

The psalmist declares, "Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness" (Ps.65:11). God has crowned the year with His goodness. God has saved us, sustained us, and supplied us with all that we have needed throughout the year. He's been good to us. Truly, His goodness is touchable, and we have felt and touched it all the time.

The psalmist calls upon us to be thankful, and Paul says the same thing to us: "Be ye thankful" (Col.3:15). The psalmist uses the words: thanksgiving, praise, and bless. Grateful hearts come to God with thanksgiving, praise and blessing. Thanksgiving involves two words: Thanks and giving. The word 'thanks' is about what we say, and giving' is about what we do. We do not only say thank you to God, we also do something about it. We put our words into action. We offer thank offerings. We move from expression to demonstration. David went as far as employing Levites to "stand every MORNING to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at EVEN" (1Chron.23:30). 

Thanksgiving is a daily affair. It's what we should do morning and night, and in between. It's meant to be a habit and a lifestyle. Thanksgiving is both an action and an attitude.

Let's possess the spirit of thanksgiving and the heart of gratitude! Think of the many reasons why we should be thankful to our God.

One reason among others is:

*God is God

It's essential to know that man is man - nothing more; miracle is miracle - nothing else; and God is God - nothing less. God can never be less than who or what He is.

There's nothing to know that God knows not. He never changes, but He changes things and people. His presence is everywhere. His power is inexhaustible. His wisdom is absolute. His purity is impeccable. The psalmist declares, "Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness" (Ps.30:4). God is God because of His immaculate purity and spotless holiness. His holiness has no holes in it. He is absolutely perfect. Because of His holiness He can never be less of a God than He is. This holy God is our God. As the holy God, He cannot lie. He cannot cheat. He cannot deceive. He cannot do evil or commit sin. He cannot break His word or promise. He cannot say one thing and then act to the contrary. His holiness is His beauty, and He is deserving of honor because of His holiness.

The psalmist tells us more:

"O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the GOD OF GODS: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks to the LORD OF LORDS: for his mercy endureth for ever… O give thanks unto the GOD OF HEAVEN: for his mercy endureth for ever" (Ps.136:1,2,3,26). As God, He is the LORD - YHVH, the covenant, self-existent and self-revealing God. He can never be known except He makes Himself known. Apart from being the LORD - I am that I am, He is also the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the most high, meaning that no one is above Him and no one is His equal or rival. He is the supreme and sovereign God - the preeminent one. That's our reason for rejoicing. We serve a God who is above all and a God who is in charge of the whole universe. 

He is all wise, all knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere present. He provides and protects. He guides and guards. He saves, secures and sustains. Indeed He is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving.

Let's join the psalmist to say, "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High" (Ps.92:1). Amen!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter