A Reflection on Psalm 100 This Thanksgiving Season
Study the Psalms with Spurgeon“Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing.
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.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting,
and His truth endures to all generations.”— Psalm 100 (NKJV)
As we gather around tables and share meals with loved ones this Thanksgiving, may we pause and remember the One to whom all thanks truly belongs. The turkey, the laughter, the family traditions—these are beautiful gifts. But Psalm 100 calls us deeper. It invites us into something far greater than a holiday. It invites us into the courts of the King.
Called His Children
Thank you, Lord, for calling me your child.
These simple words carry the weight of eternity. In a world that often leaves us wondering where we belong, God has already spoken: You are Mine.
“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.”
He made us. He claims us. He keeps us. And for that, we are deeply, eternally grateful.
The Privilege of His Presence
We are thankful, Lord, that we can enter into Your courts to praise and worship You and honor You.
Do you realize what a privilege this is? We have access to the throne room of heaven—not because we earned it, but because of our salvation through Jesus Christ. The veil has been torn. The gates are open. And we are invited to enter—with thanksgiving, with praise, with hearts full of worship.
This Thanksgiving, don’t just count your blessings at the dinner table. Step into His presence. Worship the Creator of all things. Give Him the honor, the praise, and the glory forever and ever.
For Those Walking Through Hard Seasons
We know that not everyone approaches this holiday with a full heart. Some of you are walking through your hardest season yet.
Maybe your marriage is under attack. Maybe you’ve received a hard medical diagnosis that has shaken everything you thought you knew. Maybe loneliness has become an unwelcome companion. Or perhaps this is the first holiday without someone who once sat at your table—and their empty chair speaks louder than any conversation around it.
We see you. Our hearts break with you.
But even here—especially here—Psalm 100 offers hope. “For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.”
His goodness doesn’t change with our circumstances. His mercy doesn’t run out when our tears overflow. His truth stands firm when everything else feels uncertain.
We have hope—hope in the Lord. His love and grace are covering all things, even the broken things, even the painful things. And so, even in the valley, we give thanks. Not for the pain, but for the One who walks through it with us.
All Things Belong to Him
You are the Creator of all things. We thank You. We give You the honor and the praise and glory forever and ever.
This is the heart of Thanksgiving: recognizing that everything we have, everything we are, and everything we hope for belongs to Him. He holds all things. All things are His. The food on our tables, the air in our lungs, the love in our families, the salvation in our souls—all gifts from His hand.
And so we come before Him. Not just on this one Thursday in November, but every day. We enter His gates with thanksgiving. We come into His courts with praise. We remember who He is: the Lord, our God, our Maker, our Shepherd, our Hope.
Our Gratitude
As we write this, we find ourselves overwhelmed with gratitude for all God has done in our lives. The healing—both physical and spiritual—the answered prayers, the faithful partnership Jill and I have walked through together, our daughters and son-in-law—every bit of it points to His goodness and faithfulness. Some days you just have to stop and say thank You, and today is one of those days. Grateful doesn’t even begin to cover it. Years ago, we couldn’t have imagined the restoration God would bring. But He is faithful to complete the work He begins in us (Philippians 1:6), and we are living proof of that promise.
A Prayer of Thanksgiving
Lord, thank You for calling us Your children. We are so grateful for our salvation—a gift we could never earn and will never deserve. We are thankful that we can enter into Your courts to praise and worship You and honor You. You are the Creator of all things. We thank You. We give You the honor and the praise and glory forever and ever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours.
May you know His peace, His presence, and His unfailing love.
Dennis & Jill