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 With Thanksgiving
The gates into Canada were pretty much slammed shut to many in the early days of this country. In 1885, for example, the federal government imposed a head tax on Chinese immigration to Canada, seeking to prevent the more than 15,000 immigrant labourers who had arrived to work on the Canadian Pacific Railway from staying after the great nation-building project was completed. In 2006, acknowledging “the racist actions of our past,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized for the head tax.
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If you have had the joy of visiting Jerusalem, you will know that it is a city of gates. There are eight of them in total and all are open except the Eastern Gate, generally known as the Golden Gate. There is something deeply moving in entering into the ancient city by any one of the seven open gates, realizing that you are following in the footsteps of millions of others over the millennia who have also done so, including Jesus. King David loved this city, and even though he wouldn’t live to see the Temple built, he declares this in Psalm 100:4: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” The Golden Gate was blocked over one thousand years ago so you can’t enter the city that way. One day you will be able to – Ezekiel 43:4 tells us the Messiah will enter the city through that gate. But if you are a follower of Jesus, He has entered your life and by faith, Jesus invites you to enter His presence through prayer. Do as David commands – enter His presence today with thanksgiving and praise
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley