Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 179 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

A Thankful Servant Part 1

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 179 of our Trek, and yesterday we climbed the five steps to a Thankful Thanksgiving. Today and for the next two days, we will look at the Psalm of Thanksgiving, Psalm 100. If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Today is a special day in the United States, one of the most special days of all year. It is Thanksgiving Day.  This is a day to watch parades, enjoy a delicious meal, fellowship with our family and friends, and watch football or other fun activities.

As a Christ follower, it is also a day when we give thanks to God from whom all blessing flow. On our Trek today and the next two days, let us learn to become a thankful servant as we look closely at the Psalm of Thanksgiving, which is Psalms 100.

A Thankful Servant Part 1

We all love to hear the story of the Pilgrims. In 1620, a ship full of 102 religious refugees and 30 crew members, set sail for Virginia. The Christians longed to build a community to the greater glory of God. But, having been blown off course, they landed on Cape Cod.

Coming ashore at Plymouth Rock they established a settlement and prepared as best they could for their first winter. Short on supplies and even with the aid of native Indians, just half the Pilgrims survived the bitter freeze. Only three couples that began their voyage together were spared the ravages of death in their family.

In the light of such bitter hardship and disappointment, what would be their disposition towards life and God? After all, they came to America precisely because they were convinced it was God’s will. They wanted to worship God without the interference of the state and to get their children away from the worldliness of Europe. But, rather than feeling sorry for themselves in the face of loss and succumbing to cynicism or fleeing back to Europe, they celebrated what has become known as the ideal American holiday, Thanksgiving. This simple act of faith is one of the most tenacious expressions of true spirituality in our history!

The observance of Thanksgiving comes directly out of the Old Testament tradition of Feast Days. A thank offering was prescribed in the Law of Moses as a special burnt offering for deliverance granted or blessings received. In the Old Testament we have a beautiful expression of thanksgiving that serves as a window into which we will peer to see the spirit of true, thankful worship of God.

Psalms 100 is the only Psalm entitled, “A Psalm of Thanksgiving.” The Psalm is written from the perspective of a worshipper who has come to the temple in order to present their thank offering. Psalm 100 is the pinnacle of praise in a series of Psalms that exalts the Covenant Lord of Israel as the great king of all the earth.

Imagine yourself back in Old Testament days coming to the temple, with your family to offer your thank offering. You enter into the outer court of the temple, and in front of you is the brazen altar. You feel the radiant heat from its fire and smell the savory aroma of its sacrifices. As you present your gift to the priest, he asks you, “What has God done for you for which you are thankful?” On this Thanksgiving, what are the reasons for which you have come to praise God?

Psalm 100 gives us instruction in our thanksgiving.

1.   Your Thank Offerings Must Be Passionate

Psalm 100:1-2 says, “Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness.”

In many churches, we are expected to be quiet and somber, but that is not what this verse would indicate when we are giving thanks to the one true God.

But what would make you shout today? The original Hebrew for this shout with joy is such a visceral act. We are commanded here to lift up our voices as in a war-cry or an alarm of battle. It is also an expression of our approval of our Lord.

This is the same word used in Israel’s first battle in the Holy Land at Jericho. There Joshua calls upon the Israelites to lift up a shout, and when they do, the walls of Jericho come falling down.

Now we gather to worship one greater than Joshua even, Jesus Christ! He has overcome the worldly city of man and has called us forth to follow in his triumph and procession as we make our way to our eternal heavenly home!

We see the same type of shout after David defeated Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:52, “Then the men of Israel and Judah gave a great shout of triumph and rushed after the Philistines, chasing them as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron. The bodies of the dead and wounded Philistines were strewn all along the road from Shaaraim, as far as Gath and Ekron.”

Now we gather to worship one greater than David even, Jesus Christ! He has defeated all our spiritual Goliaths – sin, death, hell, and the grave – and gives all who trust him eternal life. Like the roar of the stadium at a football game when the championship team takes the field, we worship our victorious Christ.

We read about shouts of praise again when Israel had returned to the Promised Land after 70 years of exile in Babylon.They started to rebuild their city and the temple in which to worship God. After many years and great difficulties they finally finished building the foundation of the temple. Ezra 3:10-11 reads, “When the builders completed the foundation of the Lord’s Temple, the priests put on their robes and took their places to blow their trumpets. And the Levites, descendants of Asaph, clashed their cymbals to praise the Lord, just as King David had prescribed. With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the Lord: ‘He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever!’  Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s Temple had been laid.”

Today we gather to worship one greater than the temple even, Jesus Christ. Jesus was all the Temple had pointed to. He was the fulfillment of the sacrifices, the priesthood, and, most importantly, he was God Himself dwelling with His people. Now he is your chief cornerstone and has fashioned you into a holy temple in the Lord and makes you the eternal dwelling place of God by the Spirit.

“Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!” Jehovah is Lord of all the earth, he’s not just the covenant God of Israel. This command extends to all lands and anticipates the certainty of Christ’s dominion over all things! Colossians 1:16 reminds, “for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.  He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see — such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.”

As we enjoy this special celebration, let us shout in celebration, “Happy Thanksgiving!”

As we  begin our exploration of Psalm 100, which is the Psalm of Thanksgiving, we are learning to be a thankful servant to the One from whom all blessings flow. As you have opportunity, please encourage your friends and family to join us and come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy as we look at the Psalm of Thanksgiving in Psalms 100 part 2.

That will finish our podcast for today. Remember to listen to your daily dose of wisdom each day. Please share Wisdom-Trek with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person so they can come along with us each day.

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Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this Trek together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!