REASONS TO BE GRATEFUL AND GLAD

PSALM 100:1-5 NKJ 
1 Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! 
2 Serve the Lord with gladness; 
Come before His presence with singing. 
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. 
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, 
And into His courts with praise. 
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 
5 For the Lord is good; 
His mercy is everlasting, 
And His truth endures to all generations. 

We don't have too many opportunities to share an entire chapter.  This one is short but powerful. 

This is a pretty enthusiastic Psalm.  Joyful shouts.  Serving with gladness.  Coming before Him with singing.  There is no apparent reason to be sad and despondent before God.   

Know that He made us.  He is God and not us.  We did not create ourselves; we are His creation, His sheep.  Glad to know we belong to Him.  And the fact that we are not self-made gives us good reason to be grateful, not proud.   

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.  Be thankful and bless His name.  Once again, we are back to the proper protocol in God's presence.   

Thanksgiving, praise, and blessing are to be part of our lives.  Because God is good, and He never runs out of mercy.  And His truth is not short-lived but endures throughout eternity.  Five verses, but many reasons to be grateful and glad.   

APPLICATION 

This Psalm is a great one to use in worshipping God in your private devotions.  Just take these short five verses and make them yours, thanking God for His goodness and blessing.  No way you can go wrong, no win/lose proposition.  And remember, we'll probably do a lot of this praising and rejoicing in heaven, so we might as well get a jump on it down here!  We've got reasons!