At various times in life, we are excited about different things. It could be a new friend, a new job, a ball team, or a hobby. I remember in the 1980s & early ‘90s one of the popular programs on TV was wrestling. Sting, Jake “the Snake” Roberts, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, Dusty Rhodes (the American Dream), Hulk Hogan and “Nature Boy” Rick Flair, just to name a few, were airing in our living room via the TV each Saturday. How do I remember their names? My kids loved watching WCW on Saturdays. One Saturday, I was outside working in the yard and Deb started yelling for me to come inside. Right there on TV was Kathleen and LeeAnn Nicholson screaming and yelling on the pathway as the wrestlers walked from the dressing room to the ring. Those two church members, mom and daughter, loved going to the wrestling matches and were jacked with excitement when these athletes walked by. They were both screaming at the top of their lungs as their favorites walked by them. I used “athletes” intentionally. Those guys had to be in great shape to pull off the moves they made in the ring. Excitement should be in the heart of the Christian just like the fans at an event. If we can get excited about a hundred things in life, surely, we can get excited about what the Lord has promised us both here and in eternity.

One of the first two Psalms I can recall hearing as a child is Psalm 100. The other is Psalm 23. We would actually read these in my elementary school. The focus for today is the former. The prevailing thought behind this psalm is “the Messiah on His throne.” We would say Jesus is ruling and reigning. Isaiah prophesied in 56:7 about joy for those that come to His house, and His house would be a “place of prayer for all people”. Isaiah 66:23 says, “from one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come before me.” These people will be coming for the glorious experience of seeing the King of Kings and the fellowship of other worshippers. They are searching their hearts as they make this pilgrimage. It is a spiritual exercise as well as a physical one. Let’s take a mental pilgrimage. Think about three words from our little five verse Psalm.

  1. Entering. The Temple mount was divided into several areas called courts divided by gates. It began with the Gentile court where non-Jewish proselytes could enter. Next, was a court for Jewish women. After, was the court for Jewish men. Next, was the court for the Priests. Finally, there was the last area that only the High Priest could enter called the Holy of Holies. Each court kept excluding more people. All that changed at Calvary. The veil was ripped in half opening the Holy of Holies to all that will believe. When Jesus sits on His throne He will have people from all nations coming to see Him. The lamb and lion will lie down together; a child can handle a poisonous snake and not be bitten; a man will be 100 and still considered a boy. The nations will be in harmony and the swords and spears beaten into plowshares. We aren’t there physically right now, but we can surely get there mentally. You and I can close our eyes and visualize Jesus on the throne of our hearts. It is a great way to start the day and certainly a great way to end the day as we close our eyes to sleep.
  2. Thanking. The ultimate thanks and gratitude of our heart belongs to God. Often God’s people start to look at other people letting their minds dwell on the things God may have blessed someone else with. We let our minds drift to the dark side and ask “why not me?” We complain and moan about our maladies all the while not remembering the truth of Romans 8:28, that God allows or disallows circumstances. It seems we are never satisfied.  Let me share a humorous story. Two friends hadn’t seen each other in a while. One had a sad face; his countenance was down. His friend asked, “What’s wrong?” “Well, four months ago, a long-lost uncle died and left me $25k. Three months ago, my grandfather died and left me $150K. Last month, I had my oldest aunt die, and she left me $40K.” The friend said, “Man what are you so down about?” The man responded, “So far this month, NOTHING.” Isn’t that just like us? It shouldn’t be though. Thanksgiving ought to be a daily exercise as we come into the Lord’s presence.
  3. Blessing. We are told to bless His name. The idea of blessing is to praise, verbally and non-verbally wishing the person to have good things heaped upon them. Of course, in our Psalm, the person we are to bless is the Lord. Blessings are common in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Genesis 24 tells us about Rebekah’s family giving her the blessing as she was leaving to marry Isaac. They wanted her to have many, many children, and her enemies to be defeated. Isaac, when he was dying, blessed Jacob in Genesis 27. We must pay attention to how we bless the Lord and others. Our Psalm gives us a list to follow. Two to get us started are singing (v.1) and making a joyful noise (v.2). We ought to have devoted hearts. Now we can’t give God any more glory than He has, but when we seek to bless the Lord it does something for us. If we seek to do the things instructed in this little Psalm, it will certainly honor God, but it will also bless us with joy, peace, and love. In a crazy world, shouldn’t God’s people be a light to those that don’t have any of these things?