Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving

November 16, 2022

Psalm 100:4 “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.”

In the time of David, when this song of thanksgiving was written, it was the worshippers of Israel who would enter the gates of the city of Jerusalem and head to the Temple of the Lord singing songs of praise and giving thanks to Him.  God had designated the descendants of Abraham, the Israelites, as His Chosen people. He had made a covenant with them and revealed His commandments to them.  Anyone outside of the nation of Israel was considered a gentile. 

But David was envisioning his own Jerusalem. It was to be a place for all people to come and worship the One true God. This psalm starts with saying “Enter His gates”. Enter means to come, bring in, gather or lead in. God is the one inviting us to enter His gates! They are His gates. It’s a call to every person, not just the Jewish people. 

So when we come in the gates, what should we do? We should be praising God, singing hymns of worship, and giving thanks to Him. Too many times, we come to God with our own agenda. We want to plead or ask for things we want, or even demand things! I’m not saying it’s wrong to ask for things, because God already knows what our needs are, and He wants us to bring our petitions to Him. He longs to hear our requests. 

But what God really wants is a deeper intimacy with Him, and a more meaningful connection with Him. When we are praising God, our troubles seem to slide away. When we are giving thanks to God, our hearts are filled with joy. It might be hard at times when we are struggling, but giving praise and thanking God is the best way to feel closest to Him. 

Start your day with praise.