The Insanity of Ingratitude
By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.
11/19/2021
Psalm 100
Perhaps you have heard the old fable about a day when the sun did not rise. Six o’clock in the morning came and went, yet still there was no sign of dawn. By seven o’clock, darkness remained. At noon, it was as black as midnight. The morning songs of Steller’s jays gave way to the hoot of owls and the distant howls of coyotes. Then came the long, dark hours of the afternoon, one after the other, creeping by. Finally, the evening hours arrived, but no one slept that night. Some wept, some prayed, everyone wrung their hands in anguish. After an endless night of terror and agony, confusion and bewilderment, millions of tired, tear-streaked faces turned tentatively toward the east. When the sky began to grow red and the sun began to rise, shouts of joy filled the morning air. Millions of voices rang out, “Thank you Lord!” because the sun had risen after just one day of darkness.
The lesson of this simple fable is this: Sometimes the very consistency of God’s great blessings seems to dull our sense of gratitude. We often take for granted the daily dose of God’s blessings and care that are ours to enjoy without even asking. The thankfulness that lies dormant in our hearts should rise in expression each and every morning with the dawning of a new day.
In our country, we set aside a special time each year of reflection on the blessings of God. It is a time of thankfulness. It is a time of Thanksgiving. I cannot help but wonder, “How many of us really need a designated day to help spur our hearts on to thankfulness?” If Thanksgiving was not a national holiday, do you suppose there would be some folks who actually go a whole year without pausing to reflect on God’s goodness and express their gratitude to Him? The very idea is insane, when you think of all that we have to be thankful for.
The exhortation for God’s people to have a thankful heart is pervasive in Scripture. One of the most well know examples is found in Psalm 100. Psalms 94-100 are a series of anonymous songs that tell of Israel’s great God, Yahweh, who reigns in majesty. Psalm 100 is a sort of doxology or climax to this section of hymns. In it, the writer gives us a glimpse at a thankful heart. He uses five particular Hebrew words, one in each verse (three verbs, one noun, and one conjunction), which give us five key elements of gratitude.
In verse one, we learn that a thankful heart is active. Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! (Psalm 100:1) The Hebrew verb “shout” means “to raise a shout; give a blast with a horn; shout a war cry; sound a signal for marching; shout in applause or triumph; cry out in distress.” All of these are active actions. Thankfulness is not internal. It is external. Thankfulness may be developed in the heart but it overflows into the life and actions. Jesus said, Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. (Matthew 12:34) The Psalmist places this verb at the very beginning of the verse for emphasis. It is as if he is saying, “Thankfulness begins with a shout. Say it! Don’t think it.” It’s not enough to feel grateful. A true thankful heart is expressive.
In verse two, we learn that a thankful heart is attractive. Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. (Psalm 100:2) The Hebrew noun “gladness” means “joy, gladness, or mirth as displayed in festivities.” Jewish festivities were always very visually appealing. They were attractive. They were major productions. Gratitude should be something that is attractive to look at. Sometimes when I hear people expressing gratitude, I cannot help but notice that their words do not seem to match their faces. Their heart is just not in it. The Psalmist says that gratitude should be expressed with “gladness.”
In verse three, we learn that a thankful heart is accepting of God for who He is. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. (Psalm 100:3)
The Hebrew verb “know” means to “take special note of.” To be thankful is to express confidence in God’s provision. A thankful heart begins with a proper understanding of who God is and who we are. Thankfulness requires the right perspective. It accepts God’s sovereignty. God is in control. He is the Creator and we are the created. It accepts God’s supervision. We are His people. He is the superintendent of our lives. And it accepts God’s shepherding. We are His sheep. He cares for us like a shepherd cares for his flock.
This attitude of acceptance—deep trust in God and Who He is, no matter what the circumstance—is perhaps best exemplified by the oft-quoted words of Matthew Henry after he had been robbed. Reflecting on the unfortunate experience, Henry stated, “I am thankful that in all my life I have only been robbed once. I am thankful that they took my wallet and did not take my life. I am thankful that although they took my wallet, it wasn’t much. I am thankful that it was I who was robbed and not someone else.” What a perspective! He was able to find four reasons to be thankful in the midst of being robbed. He accepted God’s sovereignty and supervision and shepherding in his life. He knew that God is in control.
In verse four, we learn that a thankful heart is adoring of God. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. (Psalm 100:4) The Hebrew verb “bless” means “to adore on bended knee.” Four times in this verse the Psalmist uses synonyms for adoration: thanksgiving, praise, be thankful, and bless. Adoration demands a heavenly perspective. At the time of writing, Jewish worshippers could literally enter the temple, approaching the very presence of God in the Holy Place, to express their adoration. Today, we do not have to go to a physical place. But we do need to symbolically enter the presence of God with a pure heart. Adoration demands humility. Implied within the verb “bless” is this idea of bowing down. You do not look down to express gratitude and adoration. You look up from a humble heart.
Finally, in verse five we learn that a thankful heart is appropriate. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. (Psalm 100:5) The Hebrew conjunction “for” is very common in Hebrew writing. It can mean many different things but in this construction and context it means “because.” A display of gratitude is appropriate because of three things. Basically the Psalmist spends the first four verses using imperative commands to exhort us to thankfulness and then in verse five he reminds us why thankfulness is called for. We always have a reason to be thankful. He lists three here but there are many. Gratitude is a natural response to God’s goodness. Gratitude is a natural response to God’s grace. And gratitude is a natural response to God’s genuineness. God can be trusted—what a blessing!
Simply put, gratitude is very appropriate and natural. When we think of all God has done for us, we cannot help but be thankful. To respond otherwise would be insane! Thanksgiving does not require abundance—although most of us certainly fall into that category. It simply requires recognition of what Christ has done for us and then it will flow naturally and appropriately from the heart. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)
What if Thanksgiving was not a national holiday? Would our hearts still well up in gratitude? Does the sun have to hide for a day for us to realize how blessed we are? Let me encourage you to “enter His courts with thanksgiving.” Wherever you are, wherever you go, be thankful.
11/19/2021
Psalm 100
Perhaps you have heard the old fable about a day when the sun did not rise. Six o’clock in the morning came and went, yet still there was no sign of dawn. By seven o’clock, darkness remained. At noon, it was as black as midnight. The morning songs of Steller’s jays gave way to the hoot of owls and the distant howls of coyotes. Then came the long, dark hours of the afternoon, one after the other, creeping by. Finally, the evening hours arrived, but no one slept that night. Some wept, some prayed, everyone wrung their hands in anguish. After an endless night of terror and agony, confusion and bewilderment, millions of tired, tear-streaked faces turned tentatively toward the east. When the sky began to grow red and the sun began to rise, shouts of joy filled the morning air. Millions of voices rang out, “Thank you Lord!” because the sun had risen after just one day of darkness.
The lesson of this simple fable is this: Sometimes the very consistency of God’s great blessings seems to dull our sense of gratitude. We often take for granted the daily dose of God’s blessings and care that are ours to enjoy without even asking. The thankfulness that lies dormant in our hearts should rise in expression each and every morning with the dawning of a new day.
In our country, we set aside a special time each year of reflection on the blessings of God. It is a time of thankfulness. It is a time of Thanksgiving. I cannot help but wonder, “How many of us really need a designated day to help spur our hearts on to thankfulness?” If Thanksgiving was not a national holiday, do you suppose there would be some folks who actually go a whole year without pausing to reflect on God’s goodness and express their gratitude to Him? The very idea is insane, when you think of all that we have to be thankful for.
The exhortation for God’s people to have a thankful heart is pervasive in Scripture. One of the most well know examples is found in Psalm 100. Psalms 94-100 are a series of anonymous songs that tell of Israel’s great God, Yahweh, who reigns in majesty. Psalm 100 is a sort of doxology or climax to this section of hymns. In it, the writer gives us a glimpse at a thankful heart. He uses five particular Hebrew words, one in each verse (three verbs, one noun, and one conjunction), which give us five key elements of gratitude.
In verse one, we learn that a thankful heart is active. Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! (Psalm 100:1) The Hebrew verb “shout” means “to raise a shout; give a blast with a horn; shout a war cry; sound a signal for marching; shout in applause or triumph; cry out in distress.” All of these are active actions. Thankfulness is not internal. It is external. Thankfulness may be developed in the heart but it overflows into the life and actions. Jesus said, Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. (Matthew 12:34) The Psalmist places this verb at the very beginning of the verse for emphasis. It is as if he is saying, “Thankfulness begins with a shout. Say it! Don’t think it.” It’s not enough to feel grateful. A true thankful heart is expressive.
In verse two, we learn that a thankful heart is attractive. Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. (Psalm 100:2) The Hebrew noun “gladness” means “joy, gladness, or mirth as displayed in festivities.” Jewish festivities were always very visually appealing. They were attractive. They were major productions. Gratitude should be something that is attractive to look at. Sometimes when I hear people expressing gratitude, I cannot help but notice that their words do not seem to match their faces. Their heart is just not in it. The Psalmist says that gratitude should be expressed with “gladness.”
In verse three, we learn that a thankful heart is accepting of God for who He is. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. (Psalm 100:3)
The Hebrew verb “know” means to “take special note of.” To be thankful is to express confidence in God’s provision. A thankful heart begins with a proper understanding of who God is and who we are. Thankfulness requires the right perspective. It accepts God’s sovereignty. God is in control. He is the Creator and we are the created. It accepts God’s supervision. We are His people. He is the superintendent of our lives. And it accepts God’s shepherding. We are His sheep. He cares for us like a shepherd cares for his flock.
This attitude of acceptance—deep trust in God and Who He is, no matter what the circumstance—is perhaps best exemplified by the oft-quoted words of Matthew Henry after he had been robbed. Reflecting on the unfortunate experience, Henry stated, “I am thankful that in all my life I have only been robbed once. I am thankful that they took my wallet and did not take my life. I am thankful that although they took my wallet, it wasn’t much. I am thankful that it was I who was robbed and not someone else.” What a perspective! He was able to find four reasons to be thankful in the midst of being robbed. He accepted God’s sovereignty and supervision and shepherding in his life. He knew that God is in control.
In verse four, we learn that a thankful heart is adoring of God. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. (Psalm 100:4) The Hebrew verb “bless” means “to adore on bended knee.” Four times in this verse the Psalmist uses synonyms for adoration: thanksgiving, praise, be thankful, and bless. Adoration demands a heavenly perspective. At the time of writing, Jewish worshippers could literally enter the temple, approaching the very presence of God in the Holy Place, to express their adoration. Today, we do not have to go to a physical place. But we do need to symbolically enter the presence of God with a pure heart. Adoration demands humility. Implied within the verb “bless” is this idea of bowing down. You do not look down to express gratitude and adoration. You look up from a humble heart.
Finally, in verse five we learn that a thankful heart is appropriate. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. (Psalm 100:5) The Hebrew conjunction “for” is very common in Hebrew writing. It can mean many different things but in this construction and context it means “because.” A display of gratitude is appropriate because of three things. Basically the Psalmist spends the first four verses using imperative commands to exhort us to thankfulness and then in verse five he reminds us why thankfulness is called for. We always have a reason to be thankful. He lists three here but there are many. Gratitude is a natural response to God’s goodness. Gratitude is a natural response to God’s grace. And gratitude is a natural response to God’s genuineness. God can be trusted—what a blessing!
Simply put, gratitude is very appropriate and natural. When we think of all God has done for us, we cannot help but be thankful. To respond otherwise would be insane! Thanksgiving does not require abundance—although most of us certainly fall into that category. It simply requires recognition of what Christ has done for us and then it will flow naturally and appropriately from the heart. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)
What if Thanksgiving was not a national holiday? Would our hearts still well up in gratitude? Does the sun have to hide for a day for us to realize how blessed we are? Let me encourage you to “enter His courts with thanksgiving.” Wherever you are, wherever you go, be thankful.
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