Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
Psalm 100:4 (NIV)
Enter His Gates
Peace Arch, which connects the cities of Blaine, Washington and Surrey, BC, is the third busiest American-Canadian border crossing for passenger auto traffic. About 3,500 cars pass through it on a slow day, and as many as 4,800 cars on a busy day. As a consequence, the wait time entering either the United States or Canada can reach four hours at various times of the day. All of this traffic is for personal reasons — commercial vehicles can’t use this port of entry.
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If you’ve ever visited Jerusalem, you know the excitement of entering into the old city through one of the city gates. You are immediately taken back in time, walking on ancient streets, and sensing that you are walking on holy ground. Jerusalem always has this effect on people. The Jewish people loved coming into the city to go to the Temple to worship. They would approach the city using the Southern Steps, singing and worshipping. David describes it this way in Psalm 100:4: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” It is an amazing privilege to enter into the presence of the Creator of the universe. The One whom the angels have worshipped in eternity has invited us into His holy presence. That can only happen as we place our faith and trust in His son the Lord Jesus. The moment we do, Jesus removes our sin and imputes His righteousness into our lives so that we can enter boldly into the presence. No wonder we are called to worship – to offer thanksgiving and praise. You don’t have to be in Jerusalem to worship Him – do so right where you are.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley