Grateful Praise

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving grateful praise. ¹ 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.

The beginning of this Psalm says, for giving grateful praise.  We are not always grateful for what we have been given.  I'm guilty.  I remember once, someone gave us a pizza.  A pizza that had mushrooms on it.  I hate mushrooms.  I complained that I didn't want to eat it.  It upset my dad enough that he got in his car and drove away.  That was probably a good thing, because if he had said what he really wanted to say, it would have been terrible.  I just remember that when he peeled out of the gravel driveway, I looked at my mom and asked, "Is he coming back?"  I thank God that he did.  It taught me that no matter what, I should be thankful for what is given me.  Whether it is salvation or a mushroom filled pizza, it is something that I did not earn, could not get on my own.  It was a gift.  Thank you God, for your gifts.  Your love endures forever!