All Inclusive Gratitude
In Pursuit of Happiness (Living the Blessed Life) • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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1 O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. 3 For the Lord is a great God And a great King above all gods, 4 In whose hand are the depths of the earth, The peaks of the mountains are His also. 5 The sea is His, for it was He who made it, And His hands formed the dry land.
All Inclusive Gratitude has power to infuse everyone with joy!!
It is so necessary, especially in today's time, that the children of GOD should be filled with gratitude toward GOD because of how magnificent he is. When the level of gratitude is elevated in our hearts, the level of joyful singing and praising will also be elevated toward GOD because of all that he is.
The Psalmist leader gives the Israelite congregation four commands of joyful and thankful praise toward GOD and then provides the reasons why GOD deserves such level praise.
The first command is “O Come”
As the congregation proceeds to the assembly, each of these commands should be on the heart of the entire congregation. However, the prerequisite to following these praise commands is that everyone first must COME.
Let Us Sing Joyfully
From the heart
With the voice
Effecting the Lord
This phrase “Sing Joyfully” is one Hebrew word that means-
To produce a song with the voice as a response of joy. - This means there must be some joyful activity within ourselves to move us to sing.
We must remember that this command is to do something toward the holy name of the Lord: Yahweh. Thus it is imperative that it be sincere from the heart, because he can test our hearts.
The grammatical construct of this one word indicates that we have a direct effect on GOD when we sing to him in this manner.
We can’t deny that when someone sings joyfully and well, it can bring chills to our bodies. Thus being around one another has a huge impact!
Let Us Shout Joyfully
With gravity
To the Rock
With the Rock
This phrase “Shout Joyfully” is also one Hebrew word that means-
To make loud noise full of joy. - The context indicates that it is a joyful cheer toward GOD in a public worship setting. Because we have a deep feeling that he deserves honor. - As when and more than we cheer for other things… A football game can bring cheer to people.
The rock of salvation is a symbol to describe GOD and his protection and deliverance toward us.
The grammatical stem of this one word indicates that when we shout joyfully, the object that we are shouting to is also who we’re shouting with.
For example - If I travel to Kansas on a horse. I am travelling indeed, but because I am on the horse it is also travelling to Kansas with me. - That is the grammatical idea of shouting in this verse. What a blessing to know.
This command is repeated in verse 2, but there it tells us what to shout with.
Does GOD shout? Indeed!!! - Psalm 108:9; Zeph 3:17
Let Us Appear
In his presence
As privileged people
With gratitude
We today are always in the presence of GOD, inasmuch as Israel was back then. We can never escape his presence.
However this describes a special and privileged appearance we make together in the face or right in front of GOD. - Similar to when a earthly ruler invites you to come meet with him.
In ancient customs, one way other nations would honor rulers was to present them with gifts. In other words, there would be no honor shown being empty-handed. Being empty-handed would signify being empty-hearted.
Likewise, the Psalmist shows that the proper manner to appear before GOD is with thanksgiving or gratitude. - The worship aspect of thanksgiving under the Mosaic covenant was often accompanied by a sacrifice. Lev 7:12
On What Grounds?
The Lord’s greatness
The Lord is uncontested
-Test the scale
The Lord is sovereign
It is because of GOD’s greatness. The weight of who GOD is deserves the highest level of praise and gratitude. Not because of all he does for me, but primarily because he’s just that important all by himself.
It is because GOD is the greatest ruler in all existence. He holds the highest rank in all things for all time beyond time. He is uncontested in his rulership!!
If this is truly the case, then we must consider how much we cheer and express gratitude for whom we regard as the most important person to us on earth. Now be thoroughly honest and weigh how much you praise and express gratitude for them and the importance of what they perform versus the Lord.
To elaborate on GOD’s sovereignty - Jeremiah 31:37: “37 Thus says the Lord, “If the heavens above can be measured And the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel For all that they have done,” declares the Lord.”
The deepest, most remote, and unexplored parts of the earth are fully under his control and influence! - So it definitely includes everything that mankind has been able to discover so far: oil, minerals, coal, metals, etc.
The extreme points of the highest mountains, where it is beyond the reach of humans under safe conditions, are all under his full jurisdiction! - extreme temperatures (-50 degree F), earthquakes, avalanches, steepness, etc.
The entire ocean that makes up 71% of the earth’s surface (141 million square miles), is 36,000-ft at its deepest part, makes up 99% of the earth’s water, and where man can’t dive beyond 130 ft before facing severe pressure problems - Yet GOD says every bit of it belongs to him.
Why? Because he manufactured every last drop.
Every inch of the dry land that we walk on, from which all trees and our food sprout, and yes even where our bodies come from, all of it exists by the power of GOD’s hands.
Is the Lord Great Enough For You?
Show Him by Your Joyful Gratitude!
Because of the greatness and sovereignty of GOD, we should praise him to the fullest with no restrain. And have hearts full of gratitude when we appear before his presence.