The varied trials we face in life check our religion. In instances of testing we’re susceptible to maneuver away from God, usually with out even realizing it. If we’re not cautious as we consider our trials, we are able to interpret our circumstances wrongly. When this occurs, we start to query God. As doubt subtly begins to develop, it isn’t lengthy earlier than we start to grouse and complain, or maybe even indict God of some perceived wrongdoing. We might turn into indignant, depressed, anxious, or fearful. Regardless of the emotional response is, it might very effectively be an indicator that unbelief has taken root within the coronary heart.
Being in a state of unbelief is a dangerous place to be. Like a noxious weed, unbelief chokes the life out of religion. Bob Kellemen describes unbelief as “an emotional response to a psychological interpretation in regards to the final Relational Being the place we falsely conclude that this Being is unfair, un-protective, unsafe, and untrustworthy, the place we select to belief something and anybody however Him.”[1] When unbelief goes unchecked, it can lead to disobedience, and finally outright riot.
One of many cures for unbelief is gratitude. Gratitude will produce peaceable contentment that gives relaxation for the weary soul. Psalm 100 is a Psalm for thanksgiving. It explains the how of giving thanks; not a lot the what of thanksgiving. This Psalm affords 4 noteworthy and heart-transforming truths that may assist gratitude develop.
1. Perspective
Perspective is the primary heart-transforming fact. As youngsters of God, we must always method our Father with a coronary heart of gratitude. Gratitude is an perspective of a forgiven coronary heart. Gratitude is a mindset and orientation of the guts that’s resolute and decided to be grateful, particularly when being tempted to grouse or complain.
Verses 1 and a couple of of this Psalm assist form and outline the perspective of gratitude. Our hearts must be set to return earlier than the Lord shouting, serving, and singing with pleasure and gladness. Pleasure and gladness are attitudes. They’re heart-sets. They characterize a choice of the guts to decide on pleasure and gladness, whatever the state of affairs or circumstance. This perspective seems to be for and rests within the optimistic moderately than wallowing within the unfavorable.
For some individuals, praising God with a joyful and glad coronary heart will come simple. They’ve seen God reply their prayers, they usually have been strolling with Him on the mountain tops. However for others who’ve hearts full of anguish or sorrow and tears, praising God with a joyful and glad coronary heart might appear to be an impossibility. They’ve been praying fervently, however nothing appears to be taking place. They’ve been ready on God within the valley, and it appears as if they’re on their own.
However be aware that this Psalm doesn’t differentiate between mountain prime and valley experiences. We are able to discover transcendent pleasure and gladness, even within the midst of deep and darkish sorrow or the disorienting turbulence of anguish. So, how do we start to fire up an perspective of gratitude, particularly when issues aren’t going notably effectively from our perspective? This Psalm reminds us to take our eyes off ourselves and our circumstances and look unto Him.
2. Acknowledgment
Acknowledgment is the second heart-transforming fact. Verse 3 offers a key motivation to fire up a joyful and glad coronary heart. The Lord Himself is God. He’s God—we’re not. That is an acknowledgment of who God is and who we’re in relation to Him. He’s Jehovah; the Nice I Am! The everlasting, self-existent, creator God who made all issues and sustains all issues. We’re mere dependent creatures.
Within the elation of our mountain-top experiences, have we proudly taken credit score for work that God has accomplished? Verse 3 cautions us to humble ourselves earlier than the mighty hand of God. Within the despair of these lengthy journeys by way of the valley of grief or the slough of despondency, have we forgotten that He’s with us and that His rod and workers are comforting? This verse helps us keep in mind to deal with the who and never a lot the what or the why.
However verse 3 additionally reminds us that our God is loving and that He desires to be recognized. This verse begins out saying, “Know that the Lord Himself is God.” The phrase “know” in Hebrew is yada. It means to know by seeing; by experiencing; and by relating. It’s an intimate phrase that communicates a detailed relationship.
It helps us to do not forget that the Lord is the Good Shepherd, who holds us near His coronary heart and cares for us with tenderness and compassion, like a nursing mom along with her new child babe.
As we deal with who He’s and remind ourselves of His divine loving essence, it encourages us to belief in His confirmed character and provides Him the reward and honor He rightly deserves.
3. Accolades
Accolades is the third heart-transforming fact. As we keep in mind and gaze upon His infinite majesty and savor His love, grace, and mercy that He so richly lavishes on us, verse 4 tells us to enter His presence with thanksgiving; we method Him with reward and bless His title.
Retaining a day by day journal of the wonderous deeds that He has already accomplished generally is a useful reminder of blessings for which to be grateful. If you’re nonetheless ready on God, give due to Him for the work that He’s already doing that you just don’t see. Maybe the reply to your prayer is “not but.”
Some may have to offer due to God as a result of His reply to your prayer is “no.” Thank Him for the “no,” understanding that our loving Father all the time acts for His glory and our good, and as Jerry Bridges so rightly explains, He by no means does one on the expense of the opposite.[2] If God’s reply is not any, you possibly can belief that it’s to your good!
4. Assurance
Assurance is the fourth heart-transforming fact. Verse 5 reminds us that God is nice. He’s reliable. His loving-kindness is eternal. His faithfulness won’t ever fade away. God by no means adjustments, and He all the time retains His guarantees. God is all the time with us, and He has promised and demonstrated time and again that He won’t ever go away us or forsake us.
So, give Him thanks for the previous and the current, belief in His goodness and faithfulness for the longer term, and lean in on His comforting presence. As we do that, do not forget that as Christians, it’s only as a result of we’re in Christ that we might enter the Father’s presence—as His adopted little children—unhindered, with boldness and confidence.
Conclusion
Psalm 100 offers a strategy to develop in gratitude. Fostering an perspective of gratitude by acknowledging Him with the accolades He rightly deserves will start to change our perspective and expertise as we navigate our circumstances. Rising in gratitude will produce an assurance that the Lord is reliable and close to, which can strengthen our religion and uproot unbelief within the coronary heart.
Questions for Reflection
- What areas of unbelief do you wrestle with?
- What particular steps might you’re taking to domesticate an perspective of gratitude?
- What guarantees of God, or points of His character, would communicate to your areas of unbelief?
[1] Bob Kellemen, “The Psychology of Unbelief.” RPMMinistries.com, September 3, 2011. On-line at https://rpmministries.org/2011/09/the-psychology-of-unbelief/. Accessed September 24, 2024.
[2] Jerry Bridges, Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2008), 23-24.
