Let Us Give Thanks to the Lord

Psalms 100
100:1 A psalm. For giving 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 forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations. 

1 Chronicles 16:1-36
16:1 They brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God. 2 After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. 3 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each Israelite man and woman. 

4 He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to make petition, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel: 

7 That day David first committed to Asaph and his associates this psalm of thanks to the LORD: 

8 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; 
make known among the nations what he has done. 
9 Sing to him, sing praise to him; 
tell of all his wonderful acts. 
10 Glory in his holy name; 
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. 
11 Look to the LORD and his strength; 
seek his face always. 
12 Remember the wonders he has done, 
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, 
13 O descendants of Israel his servant, 
O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones. 

14 He is the LORD our God; 
his judgments are in all the earth. 
15 He remembers his covenant forever, 
the word he commanded, for a thousand generations, 
16 the covenant he made with Abraham, 
the oath he swore to Isaac. 
17 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, 
to Israel as an everlasting covenant: 
18 "To you I will give the land of Canaan 
as the portion you will inherit." 

19 When they were but few in number, 
few indeed, and strangers in it, 
20 they wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another. 
21 He allowed no man to oppress them; 
for their sake he rebuked kings: 
22 "Do not touch my anointed ones; 
do my prophets no harm." 

23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth; 
proclaim his salvation day after day. 
24 Declare his glory among the nations, 
his marvelous deeds among all peoples. 
25 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; 
he is to be feared above all gods. 
26 For all the gods of the nations are idols, 
but the LORD made the heavens. 
27 Splendor and majesty are before him; 
strength and joy in his dwelling place. 
28 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, 
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength, 
  29 ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. 
Bring an offering and come before him; 
worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. 
30 Tremble before him, all the earth! 
The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. 
31 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; 
let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!" 
let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them! 
33 Then the trees of the forest will sing, 
they will sing for joy before the LORD, 
for he comes to judge the earth. 

34 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; 
his love endures forever. 
35 Cry out, "Save us, O God our Savior; 
gather us and deliver us from the nations, 
that we may give thanks to your holy name, 
that we may glory in your praise." 
36 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, 
from everlasting to everlasting. 

Then all the people said "Amen" and "Praise the LORD." 

Psalm 107:1-43
1Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever. 
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say this — 
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, 
3 those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.   

4 Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle. 
5 They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away. 
6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress. 
7 He led them by a straight way 
to a city where they could settle. 
8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love 
and his wonderful deeds for men, 
9 for he satisfies the thirsty 
and fills the hungry with good things. 

10 Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom,
prisoners suffering in iron chains, 
11 for they had rebelled against the words of God 
and despised the counsel of the Most High. 
12 So he subjected them to bitter labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help. 
13 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress. 
14 He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom 
and broke away their chains. 
15 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love 
and his wonderful deeds for men, 
16 for he breaks down gates of bronze 
and cuts through bars of iron. 

17 Some became fools through their rebellious ways 
and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. 
18 They loathed all food 
and drew near the gates of death. 
19 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress. 
20 He sent forth his word and healed them;
he rescued them from the grave. 
21 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love 
and his wonderful deeds for men. 
22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings 
and tell of his works with songs of joy. 

23 Others went out on the sea in ships;
they were merchants on the mighty waters. 
24 They saw the works of the LORD,
his wonderful deeds in the deep. 
25 For he spoke and stirred up a tempest 
that lifted high the waves. 
26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
in their peril their courage melted away. 
27 They reeled and staggered like drunken men;
they were at their wits' end. 
28 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress. 
29 He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea were hushed. 
30 They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven. 
31 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love 
and his wonderful deeds for men. 
32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people 
and praise him in the council of the elders. 

33 He turned rivers into a desert,
flowing springs into thirsty ground, 
34 and fruitful land into a salt waste,
because of the wickedness of those who lived there. 
35 He turned the desert into pools of water 
and the parched ground into flowing springs; 
36 there he brought the hungry to live,
and they founded a city where they could settle. 
37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards 
that yielded a fruitful harvest; 
38 he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,
and he did not let their herds diminish. 

39 Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled 
by oppression, calamity and sorrow; 
40 he who pours contempt on nobles 
made them wander in a trackless waste. 
41 But he lifted the needy out of their affliction 
and increased their families like flocks. 
42 The upright see and rejoice,
but all the wicked shut their mouths. 

43 Whoever is wise, let him heed these things 
and consider the great love of the LORD. 

Psalms 118:1-4
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever. 

2 Let Israel say:
"His love endures forever." 
3 Let the house of Aaron say:
"His love endures forever." 
4 Let those who fear the LORD say:
"His love endures forever." 

Psalms 118:19-21
19 Open for me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter and give thanks to the LORD. 
20 This is the gate of the LORD
through which the righteous may enter. 
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation. 

Psalms 118:19-24
19 Open for me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter and give thanks to the LORD. 
20 This is the gate of the LORD
through which the righteous may enter. 
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation. 

22 The stone the builders rejected 
has become the capstone; 
23 the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes. 
24 This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

Psalms 118:25-29
25 O LORD, save us;
O LORD, grant us success. 
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
From the house of the LORD we bless you.   
27 The LORD is God,
and he has made his light shine upon us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession 
up to the horns of the altar. 

28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks;
you are my God, and I will exalt you. 

29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever. 

1 Chronicles 29:10-19
10 David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, 

"Praise be to you, O LORD, 
God of our father Israel, 
from everlasting to everlasting. 
11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power 
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, 
for everything in heaven and earth is yours. 
Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; 
you are exalted as head over all. 
12 Wealth and honor come from you; 
you are the ruler of all things. 
In your hands are strength and power 
to exalt and give strength to all. 
13 Now, our God, we give you thanks, 
and praise your glorious name. 

14 "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 15 We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. 16 O LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. 18 O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. 19 And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, requirements and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided." 

Ezra 9:13-15
13 "What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins have deserved and have given us a remnant like this. 14 Shall we again break your commands and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices? Would you not be angry enough with us to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor? 15 O LORD, God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence." 

Prayer: Lord, we pray that the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts have been focused on you this morning. Lord as we come before you in this Thanksgiving season we are thankful that you are our God. We are thankful for your presence among us this morning. Lord we don’t come before you this morning simply counting our earthly blessings. We come before you thankful for your presence in our lives. We are thankful you have chosen to be present despite our evil deeds and our great guilt. We are thankful we are punished for our sins far less than what we deserve. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence” Our prayer is for our minds to be enlightened to your ways and that our lives may be dependent upon your power for deliverance from sin. Words cannot express our thanks for the rich salvation history brought about by your power to salvage each of our lives. We make this petition through Jesus Christ your Son.