Enter His Gates With Thanksgiving In Your Heart
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4
I would like to have seen the pen strokes of the original manuscript of Psalm 100. As the writer wrote each word of this short Psalm, he must have flowed with energy. He began by saying,
Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Psalm 100:1-2
I don’t see anything subtle about how we should enter through God’s gates to offer Him thanksgiving. Since God gave us our emotions, why shouldn’t we use them in His presence?
The Psalmist began by inviting his readers to shout. He didn’t say shout at the Lord; he said shout to Him. We don’t have to be timid about shouting alone because the whole earth will join us.
Along with shouting, the writer said we should worship the Lord. We can worship God in two distinct ways. It can happen as a lifestyle and when gathered with others in corporate worship.
The Psalmist brought up the third action of singing. Paul encouraged us to sing Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. In other words, sing songs of scripture, songs to God, and songs about God.
After reading these first two verses, make sure you have a smile on your face and in your heart. Let’s “shout with joy,” “worship with gladness,” and “sing with joy” as we come before Him.
Also, in those two verses, the Psalmist said our shouting, worship, and singing should be directed to the Lord. In the third verse he verified to us who the “Lord” is.
Acknowledge the Lord as God
Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3
We don’t expend the actions stated earlier in this Psalm to just any lord. The Lord we shout to, worship, and sing about created the universe, and He made us.
We not only acknowledge Him, but we also acknowledge that we, like sheep, belong to Him. David wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd.” We also look to Jesus as our “Good Shepherd.”
Next, our verse for today says to enter his gates with thanksgiving. So, we give Him shouts of joy and worship Him with gladness and joyful singing. What else could we possibly offer Him?
Once we enter His gates and go into his courts, He cherishes our thanksgiving and praise. In fact, the Psalmist repeated both actions when he said, give him thanks and praise his name.
Writers of other Psalms also found ways to enter into God’s presence through His gates with praise and thanksgiving. Take a look to see how those two actions work together.
- You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever! Psalm 30:11-12
- I will praise God’s name with singing, and I will honor him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30
- Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 106:1
- All of your works will thank you, Lord, and your faithful followers will praise you. Psalm 145:10
God’s Love is Unfailing
The fifth and last verse of Psalm 100 makes everything written in this short chapter all-inclusive and eternal. He began his closing remarks by announcing that the Lord is good.
For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. Psalm 100:5
Through the goodness of the Lord, He offers us eternal love that never fails. His continuing faithfulness reaches unmeasured heights. And His righteousness overshadows them both.
Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. Psalm 36:5-6
How do you enter the gates of the Lord with thanksgiving? Overjoyed by God’s protection, David, in an earlier Psalm, burst into songs of thanksgiving.
Praise the Lord! For he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. Psalm 28:6-7
We can depend on the strength of the Lord for our protection. Just as His blessings rest on Israel, he gathers the church in his arms for eternal salvation.
The Lord gives his people strength. He is a safe fortress for his anointed king. Save your people! Bless Israel, your special possession. Lead them like a shepherd, and carry them in your arms forever. Psalm 28:8-9
David wrote Psalm 57 in regard to the time he fled from Saul and went into a cave. Anointed as the next King of Israel, David had to hide from the present king. But he kept his eyes on God.
Let’s Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving
I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations. For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth. Psalm 57:9-11
May His glory shine through each of our lives. And it will, when we enter His gates with thanksgiving.
Lord, we come before you with shouts with joy, worshiping with gladness, and songs of joy. We also will enter your gates with thanksgiving in our hearts.
Check out these related posts on giving thanks to God.
- Give God Thanks, for Great Is The Lord
- Give Thanks To God With A Heart Full Of Praise
- Come To The Lord With A Thankful Heart
- Offer a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving to the Lord
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