Blessing God's Name

There are pleasant but also very unpleasant noises. There are noises that frighten, because they make dangers known. There are also noises that bring joy, when for example you hear an automobile drive on the yard, and know that your children have arrived home safely. When Psalm 100 begins with the word, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands," we are taught that there are noises that please God.

The noise that pleases God is presented in verse 4, where we read, "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name" (Ps. 100:4 ).

Now, usually we consider noise as crude and troublesome. But what the psalmist means here are "sounds." Actually, the word he uses means "to shout"; and the idea then is "enthusiastic praise." It is not calmly whispering, but crying out with zeal and out of a joyful heart. In verse 2 he calls it singing with gladness. In verse 3 he reminds us that we are the sheep of His pasture, that is, we are those to whom He has shown deep love. He protects us and is concerned with our well-being. In this Psalm, brief as it is, he has revealed how thankful we ought to be for God's care and protection, that He is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endureth to all generations.

Therefore we are to bring Him this joyful sound of thanksgiving and of blessedness as our God. Yes, He is God alone, and therefore all His promises are going to be fulfilled in their smallest detail. We will enter through His gates into His city when Christ returns. But now we should enter into His earthly house of prayer on the Lord's day, and there enthusiastically and joyfully sing His praises and thank Him for our salvation.

Do that! Bless His name with zeal and enthusiasm. Let your Lord's day be a holy day, a day set aside for worshiping Him, praising His name, and thanking Him for that wonderful gift of salvation.

Read: Psalm 100

Daily Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
2 Chronicles 6:12-42 ;   2 Chronicles 7 ; 2 Chronicles 8:1-10 
Romans 7:14-18
Psalm 18:1-15 
Proverbs 19:24-25 
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Quote for Reflection:

"Antichrist, with all his murderous agents, leaves in peace those who by their treacherous silence deny Christ, and are prepared to embrace as slaves every kind of impiety; neither does he exercise his cruelty, insatiable though it be, where he sees no manliness to exist; and he exults and triumphs, as if his end was gained, when he perceives any who had some courage in professing their faith fallen into effeminacy and cowardice. But how much better is it for us to die an hundred times, retaining our manly firmness in death, than to redeem our life for the base service of the devil."  – John Calvin