Give thanks to the Lord!

The aim of the devotional study is to reflect on the year (or recent season), recognize God’s goodness and render him the thanks and praise due to him.

Scripture

Psalm 100:1-5

1  Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

2  Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!

3  Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4  Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5  For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Observations

Note the outline: A call to worship (verse 1-2) | Worship God for Who He is (verse 3) | A call to worship (verse 4) | Worship God for what He is like (verse 5)

1. What is the mood of the psalmist? (note the adverbs or descriptive words in verses 1 and 2)
2. What is the key theme or call of this Psalm? (verse 4)
3. To whom does this call go out? (verse 1)
   • Why could this universal invitation be considered strange?
   • Why does the Psalmist think it is appropriate that this call to thanksgiving and praise is appropriate for “all the earth”? (hint: consider verse 3)
   • Considering the pastoral parable in verse 3, for what would “all the earth” give thanks to God? (hint: what does a shepherd do for sheep? compare Psalm 23)
4. Can you identify seven ways given in this Psalm of how God should be worshipped?
5. We should praise God for who he is:
   • Who does this Psalm say God is? (identify five… verses 1 and 3)
   • What does this Psalm say God’s character is like? (verse 5)

Personal Reflection

1. Thanksgiving benefits the believer: how does the discipline of stopping to think of and thank God for what he has done impact a person?

Application

1. In which ways have you recently experienced the Good Shepherd’s

• guidance,
• protection, and
• provision?

2. Are there other ways in which you have experienced the Lord’s faithful, loving goodness during this year?
3. Take time to respond with appropriate worship
   • joyful thanksgiving: declaring what God has done for you
   • prayer of praise: declaring who God is to you
   • worship God with other believers.

 

Worship 4 – overflow of a thankful heart

The aim of this devotional study is to reflect on worship as a natural response to a thankful heart.

Scripture

Psalms 40:1-3 (A song of David)

1  I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.

2  He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.

3  He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.

Observations

1. Read the Psalm slowly and picture everything you read.
2. A helpful way to study a text is to look at the verbs and who does the work:
   1. Who is mentioned in this text? (hint: verse 1a, verse 1b, verse 3b)
   2. Who does what? In other words, list all the verbs (action words/phrases) for each of the parties mentioned.
3. What emotional shift did David move from before and after God’s intervention?
4. What is the end result of God’s saving intervention for David?
5. What is the result of God’s saving intervention in David’s life in other people’s lives?

Application and Prayer

Reflect on times in your life when God really intervened in your life for the good

1. Tell God those stories (note these accounts in your notebook as you go along).
2. Thank God for where you are today because of his saving intervention in these events (consider where you would have been with God’s intervention).
3. Now praise God as David did: “he turned to me and heard me; He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.)

Praise him for being the God who sees, the God who hears, the God who saved, the God who strengthens, the God of hope.  Give God his praise!

4. With whom can you share one or two of these testimonies that they may recognize how big God is and put their trust in him as you do? Make that appointment now to share your “song of praise”!