Thanksgiving: Believer’s Joyful Approach to God in Worship
Psalm 100:1–4
Selected verses from Psalm 100 are often read as a “Call to Worship” at the beginning of worship services. This psalm fittingly reminds God’s people of the importance of worship, praise, and joyful devotion before Him.
There are seven imperatives that summon believers to wholehearted worship in the first four verses of Psalm 100:
- “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD” (v. 1)
- “serve the LORD with gladness” (v. 2)
- “come before his presence with singing” (v. 2)
- “know ye that the LORD he is God” (v. 3)
- “enter into his gates with thanksgiving” (v. 4)
- “be thankful unto him” (v. 4)
- “bless his name” (v. 4)
In this article, we will focus particularly on the first four commands and consider how they instruct us in approaching God with reverence, joy, and understanding.
Make a Joyful Noise Unto the LORD (v. 1)
In this command, God instructs His people to sing unto Him with joy. A similar exhortation appears in Psalm 95, where the psalmist declares, “O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms” (Psalm 95:1–2).
These verses show that making “a joyful noise” is closely connected with singing as an expression of thanksgiving and praise unto the Lord. Such joyful singing is in the context of worship, where God’s people gather before His presence. Thus, singing is an essential element in the order of public worship, through which believers collectively express their gratitude to, reverence for, and delight in God.
Here, we see worship as a sacred dialogue between God and His people. God calls us to worship, and we respond with singing and praise. He speaks to us through His Word, and we answer Him through prayer, thanksgiving, and song. Thus, when we engage in worship through singing and prayer, we express our gratitude, joy, faith, and devotion unto Him.
In the worship under the Old and New Covenants, the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs is an essential element of gathered worship. Throughout Scripture, God’s people have always lifted their voices in praise as an expression of reverence and thanksgiving before Him.
In today’s world, however, many seek ways to shorten worship services. People are often reluctant to devote two or three hours to public worship. To accommodate such expectations, some church leaders reduce the time allotted for vital elements of worship. Frequently, preaching time is shortened first, followed by prayer and congregational singing. In place of these biblical elements, some introduce forms of entertainment such as games, performances, or other activities. But such changes can weaken the spiritual communion that believers are meant to enjoy with God in worship.
When earthly kings or rulers visit a place, their followers often shout slogans or sing as expressions of loyalty and joy. Likewise, when the Lord Jesus entered Jerusalem riding upon a donkey, the people cried out, “Hosanna!” in praise and welcome. Every time we gather for worship, we come into His presence to declare our loyalty and worship of the King of kings. What a privilege, then, to lift up joyful voices before Him! Our singing should not become routine, but the glad and grateful response of redeemed hearts to our sovereign Lord.
The apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesian church said: “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:19-20). Here, Paul emphasises the importance of singing as an expression of our thanksgiving to God. Through singing, we also encourage one another in the Lord. We should make special efforts to learn Christian songs. Many young people like to listen to and memorise film songs. Even without a songbook, they can sing the whole song. But sadly, we do not know many psalms or hymns by heart even though we have them printed in hymnals or songbooks. When we grow old, we can lose our ability to read or hear. How wonderful it would be if we had already memorised many psalms and hymns! We could then recollect and sing them in our hearts to the Lord as an expression of our thanksgiving.
The latter part of verse 1 broadens the call to worship beyond Israel: “all ye lands” are commanded to praise the Lord. Under the Old Covenant, temple worship and its organised singing ministry were primarily entrusted to Israel, God’s covenant people. Yet this psalm anticipates a greater reality, the day when all nations would join in the worship of the true and living God. Here, the psalmist prophetically summons not only Israel but also all peoples everywhere to praise the Lord.
We witness the fulfilment of this command as the Gospel goes forth to every nation under the New Covenant. As men and women from diverse tribes, tongues, and peoples are brought to faith in Christ, they gather to worship and praise God in their own languages. Thus, the worldwide expansion of the church is also the worldwide expansion of thanksgiving and praise to the LORD.
This truth gives to missions another purpose of worship. As we engage in missions, God uses us to fulfil this prophetic call for all lands to praise His name. Therefore, mission work must not end with evangelism. We must labour to gather converts into faithful local churches where they may worship, pray, sing, and grow together in Christ. Biblical mission work aims at both conversion and congregational worship. Doxology, which is the glory and praise of God, must be the ultimate goal of evangelism and missions.
Understanding this, many faithful missionaries have devoted themselves not only to translating the Scriptures into local languages but also to translating hymns, psalters, and songs of praise. They recognised that believers from every nation should not only hear God’s Word in their own tongue but also joyfully lift their voices together in worship unto Him.
Serve the LORD with Gladness (v. 2)
The second command in this psalm is “Serve the LORD with gladness” (v. 2). Here, the word “serve” carries the idea of worship. When we gather before God in public worship, we are rendering service unto the Lord. This is reflected in the common expression, “Worship Service”, which reminds us that worship should not be a passive observation of others, but an active and personal service offered unto God. We serve Him by worshipping Him with thankful hearts in response to all that He has done for us.
This truth is especially important for believers who may feel discouraged because they have not yet received specific responsibilities within the church. In many churches, leaders wisely appoint spiritually mature believers to various ministries and offices. Those who are eager and gifted to serve may sometimes feel overlooked or conclude that they are of little use if they do not hold an official role. Some may even become so discouraged that they withdraw from church life altogether.
However, God’s Word reminds us that worship itself is service unto Him. Every believer who prayerfully prepares for worship, sings wholeheartedly, prays sincerely, listens attentively to the preaching of God’s Word, and participates reverently in congregational worship is actively serving the Lord. None should think that, in worship service, only some serve, while others watch. Public worship is a time when the whole congregation, by their worship, serves God together. Therefore, let us never underestimate the spiritual privilege and service involved in worshipping the Lord with gladness.
The word “serve” also carries a broader application. Every task we perform is an act of service unto the Lord. Scripture reminds us, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Thus, service to God is not confined to Sunday worship alone. Our responsibilities at home, in the workplace, and in daily life are also spheres in which we serve Him.
This is an vital lesson, for some are diligent in church ministries, but they complain about responsibilities at home or at work. Believers who trust in God’s providence ought to serve Him gladly wherever He has placed them. If our Saviour was content to serve faithfully and quietly in His earthly home before entering public ministry, how much more should we joyfully undertake even the ordinary and menial tasks God entrusts to us?
Christ has placed us as His ambassadors in workplaces, homes, and campuses, and in places often inaccessible even to full-time ministers. As we labour faithfully, cultivate godly relationships, and display Christlike character, God may graciously open doors for others to hear the Gospel through us.
Come Before His Presence (v. 2)
“Come before his presence with singing” (v. 2). This command also highlights the importance of worshipping God through singing. While we have already considered the role of singing in worship, here we will focus on the opening phrase: “come before his presence”. This, too, is a call to worship. Whenever God’s people gather for worship, they come into His presence. Let us remember that worship is a sacred occasion in which we meet with God and express our thanksgiving before Him.
In our day, casual attitudes towards worship have often diminished reverence in God’s house. If we truly understand that we are approaching the living God, we will come before Him with holy fear, gratitude, and humility. Scripture repeatedly assures believers of God’s presence among His people. In Matthew 18:20, Christ declares, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”. Though spoken in the context of church discipline, this promise affirms Christ’s presence with His gathered church. Likewise, in giving the Great Commission, the Lord assured His disciples, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20).
The Book of Hebrews describes New Covenant worship as approaching “mount Sion… the city of the living God… and to an innumerable company of angels” (Hebrews 12:22). Such truths remind us that worship is no ordinary gathering; we come before a holy God.
We are sinful and unworthy to stand before such a holy God, but through His grace He invites us into His presence to worship and praise Him. Therefore, let us never approach worship casually, but with thanksgiving, reverence, and joyful fear before the Lord.
Moreover, we should not restrict the reality of God’s presence merely to public worship. Just as the command to “serve” extends beyond worship into every aspect of life, so this command also carries significance for our daily walk with God. The Lord is omnipresent, and we live continually before Him. Nothing is hidden from His sight; our thoughts, words, and actions are all fully known to Him.
Therefore, believers must cultivate an awareness that God is always present with us. Theologians have often used the Latin phrase Coram Deo, which means “before the face of God”, to describe this reality that all of life is lived in His presence. Such an awareness ought to shape our conduct, deepen our reverence, restrain our sin, and strengthen our devotion. Let us therefore strive to live each moment consciously before God, walking thankfully, reverently, and faithfully in His presence.
Know Ye That the LORD He Is God (v. 3)
Among the seven commands in Psalm 100, many commentators regard this command, “Know ye that the LORD he is God” (v. 3), as the heart of the psalm. Without this command, the others lose their meaning. It is possible to sing, serve, and participate in worship outwardly while lacking a true knowledge of God. The psalmist therefore brings us to the centre of true worship: we must know that our God is our Creator, our Redeemer, and our Shepherd.
The verse declares, “it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture”. Thanksgiving begins with this knowledge: we belong to Him because He created us, sustains us, and graciously calls us His own people. The language of God being our Shepherd and we being His sheep is covenant language, which speaks of belonging, care, protection, and communion with Him.
This command also confronts us personally: do you truly know the Lord Jesus Christ, or are you merely following religious customs? Do you sing and worship out of habit, family expectation, or tradition? True knowledge of God comes only through Christ, for He came to reveal the Father unto us. If we do not know Christ, we do not truly know God. Therefore, if you have never come to Him, confess your sins and seek Him sincerely: “Lord, I am a sinner. I need a Saviour. Help me to know Thee.”