Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
Psalm 100:4 NIV
Praise
Canada has a lot of praiseworthy features. For example, Canada has the longest coastline in the world. It is over 202,000 kilometres long. It would take four and a half years to walk the length of Canada’s coastline. This coastline borders three different oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, and the Arctic. The second-longest coastline in the world is in Norway, whose coastline is less than half of Canada’s, followed by Indonesia with about 1/4 of the length of Canada’s. Surprisingly, Russia is 5th, following Greenland.
***
If you’ve been to Jerusalem, you know the joy of entering that historical city through one of the ancient gates. Jerusalem is a walled city, and for millennia the people of God have entered through those gates to explore the narrow streets and lanes and to worship the living God. King David had entered those gates many times and lived to praise the God of Israel. In Psalm 100:4 he writes, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” What a privilege belongs to those of us who love Jesus. We are invited to enter into His presence whenever we want. We should accept the invitation often – He deserves all our thanksgiving and praise. We have experienced His grace and know the joy of His abiding presence. Let’s take time to worship Him, to express our praise for who He is and thanksgiving for all He does for us and in us. We can never spend too much of our time doing so. He deserves it all. Praise flows naturally from the redeemed – we will spend eternity in His presence. Let’s not wait until then to praise Him.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley