I learned the 100th Psalm as a child and have never forgotten it. It’s amazing how quickly a child can memorize scripture, and even more amazing, is the fact that it never leaves you.

Of all the scriptures, I am glad that this is one that I learned early. Aside from our greatest need to trust Christ as Savior, our foremost need is to praise the Lord for His goodness and grace. This wonderful Psalm causes the student of God’s Word to lift his or her voice in praise of the One Who gives every good and perfect gift.

The Psalm contains only five verses and is not difficult to commit to memory. If you do not know this Psalm, I encourage you to take a few minutes to memorize it now. God will use it to bless your life for years to come.

 

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing.

Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with Thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations. (KJV)

 

There are so many things for which I am thankful in this season of Thanksgiving. Most of all, I am thankful that I have been saved through the precious blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross for me. I am thankful that I made my decision to trust Christ as my Savior when I was eight years of age, which means that I have lived fifty-three years as a Christian.

I am so thankful that I did not make that decision late in my life. When I ponder that thought, I think about how much I would have missed if I had lived my life without Jesus!

I am thankful for my Christian wife and daughters. I still remember as one of the greatest joys of my life, being able to baptize my three daughters following their profession of faith in Jesus Christ. I am thankful for my Christian sons-in-law and for the fact that my grandchildren are being reared to know and love Jesus. I look forward to the day when each one of our grandchildren has been saved and our family circle is complete in heaven.

I am thankful for the privilege and joy of serving as executive director of the Georgia Baptist Convention. At the Convention meeting in Augusta, we celebrated our fifteenth anniversary with the Convention. I have been grateful for every one of those years and look forward to what God will do through Georgia Baptists in the years ahead.

I believe that it is God’s will to bring revival in Georgia and around the world. I am committed to doing whatever I can to help Georgia Baptists to be a part of God’s plan to bless Georgia and the world with a sweeping revival that will bring spiritual renewal beyond anything we have witnessed in several lifetimes.

I also want to mention that I am thankful for a governor and first lady in Georgia who are not hesitant to demonstrate their convictions regarding the power of prayer and the ability of God to bring refreshing rains upon the parched ground of Georgia. When Governor Perdue called upon Georgians to pray for rain, it became a national news story.

It is safe to say that the doubters are waiting to see if God will send rain. They miss the point. How God chooses to answer prayer is His business. Our part is to be faithful and to pray. In praying for rain, our governor and first lady have given clear demonstration that they acknowledge the power and authority of Almighty God Who controls the elements of nature. This testimony in itself is sufficient and obedient.

History has demonstrated that it is God’s will to bless His faithful children. I am very thankful that Sonny and Mary Perdue love the Lord with all of their hearts and are not afraid to let the whole world know about their commitment to Christ.