Know that the LORD is God.
It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him and praise His name.
Psalm 100:3-4
I consider this portion of scripture to be standard Thanksgiving church service fare. It just seems to be the one they always use. And for good reason. But today when I saw it, it made me think of a billboard at a local church I saw the other day that read, “Thanksgiving is a verb.”
When we enter God’s gates, we should be actively Praising and Thanking him (think action verbs)- not just attempting to make an attitude adjustment in our life for one day.
We should bow down before the King, the Lord our God who made us, as the sheep, (obeying) not the shepherd (always in charge). We should enter His gates (spend actual time with Him alone in quiet) speak of his wonders, (declare his provision in your life and others’) proclaim his goodness (declare his faithfulness and mercy) and give praise and honor (describe his holy attributes and character) to our creator for making us and counting us a part of his flock.
So this Thanksgiving, between eating turkey, spending time with relatives, watching football, decorating your house and shopping – try making some time to practice the verbs of Thanks and Praise.