Psalm 100: Joyful songs

Who do you thank for the good things you've done nothing to deserve?  For the things beyond what any other human being could ever do for you?  For life, breath, for beautiful creation, for freedom to make choices and enjoy good things?  Even on our worst days, there are so many undeserved gifts/blessings from God.

Someone once said the biggest problem for the atheist is when they feel profoundly grateful but have no-one to thank.

I don't think that's really their BIGGEST problem, but it makes the point very well... Shouldn't we be grateful to God for all he continues to give us?

We might have questions about the horrific suffering, struggling and evil that exist in the world too.  Fair enough.  But why don't people equally wonder about why they continue to receive so many good things they did nothing to deserve?  Especially when the best of us act fairly selfishly sometimes.  Why are we getting away with it?  Why should we be able to continue enjoying all these good things?

And this song keeps coming back to me.  It's an old classic...
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done

If you're not sure it's true, stop and try it.  Grab paper and pen and give it a go.  How many good things can you think of today that you have benefitted from that you did absolutely nothing to deserve? 
 
And through Jesus, God has even turned up in human history to live the life we could never live, to die in our place for our sin on the cross and to rise from death, to make a way back to God for us.  We're offered forgiveness, friendship with God, life WITH GOD now and forever in a world free from sickness, suffering and death.  Beyond our imagination!

We need to get some perspective.  We need to get humble and get grateful to God!

This psalm helps us with that!  The Bible says Psalm 100 is a psalm "for giving grateful thanks"...

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
3 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.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures for ever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Let's worship him today!  Even if it's a struggle.  He's still good.  And he's been kind to you!

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