CELEBRATING HIS PRESENCE WITH THANKSGIVING

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath 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 unto him, and bless his name.

5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

There are many different ways we can make noise; in physics noise is a disturbance, it is a presence that demands attention. Therefore, noise does not have to be a sound to determine its presence. We are to make a joyful noise unto the Lord; whether it is with sound or it is with our actions of determination, God desires that we cause a joyful disturbance. We are to make our presence known. We are here God; we acknowledge you and desire that you acknowledge us.

There are those that make their presence known by their disposition of anger and dissatisfaction. They do not have to make a sound for you to know they are there; you can feel their disposition as they make a clear sound in the atmosphere that they are an unhappy camper. This is a negative disturbance.

God is not interested in such disturbances; He desires that we make a joyful noise a joyful disturbance; He desires that we serve Him with gladness and that we come before presence with singing.

This is my story; this is my song praising my savior all the day long. My story is my statement and my song is the emotion expressing my statement. What are we trying to say to God and how are we trying to say it. God wants a joyful noise; He wants our presence to disturb the darkness and exhilarate the light, disturb the devil and his lies as we magnify the Lord God Almighty.

Many people live out their lives as though they are the creator and center of their own little world. This mind-set leads to a greedy possessiveness with the desire to control everything surrounding it. “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. The message translation of the Bible reads it this way, On your feet now—applaud God! ² Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. ³ Know this: God is God, and God, God. He made us; we didn't make him. We're his people, his well-tended sheep. ⁴ Enter with the password: "Thank you!" Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. ⁵ For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever.

Thanksgiving is actually a form of praise; a gratefulness that acknowledges the good fortune received in a relationship. Psalm 69:30 declares, “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.”