“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Psalm 100:4
Last post, the theme was Gratitude and we were talking about how un-thankfulness is one of the signs that we are living in the last days.
Paul told Timothy that in the last days there will be very difficult times and one of the things that scriptures tell us will be happening is that people will be ungrateful.
Unfortunately, we are surrounded by ungratefulness.
As the coming back of Jesus Christ gets closer and closer, this will only get worse.
I believe people will cling more to earthly things then to the things of God. As the days get darker and darker, the world will value the temporary more than the eternal.
Why? Because they will seek what will never satisfy.
Jesus told the women at the well, “If you drink of this water, you will thirst again.”
What was He telling her? That everything in the physical will leave one longing for more.
But there is a well that if she chooses to drink from, she will never thirst again.
When you have contentment, when you are satisfied in whatever state you are in, you enter into the place of gratitude.
This is where God wants us to live.
Let’s look at the whole chapter of Psalms 100
“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.” Psalm 100:1
Spurgeon comments, “The original word signifies a glad shout, such as loyal subjects give when their king appears among them. Our happy God should be worshipped by a happy people; a cheerful spirit is in keeping with his nature, his acts, and the gratitude which we should cherish for his mercies.”
“Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.” Psalm 100:2
We see this again in Psalm 69:30, “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.”
“Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Psalm 100:3-4
When the psalmist was referencing the gates and the courts, he was talking about the tabernacle in the Old Testament which is a type and shadow of the biblical plan for our lives.
The gates were the entrance to the tabernacle. The psalmist is saying that as soon as you step into God’s House, there should be thanksgiving on your lips. The only qualifier to this is that you walked into God’s house. And then, the next thing you do is enter into his courts with praise.
In Psalm 34:3, it says, “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.”
In the tabernacle, there was an inner court and an outer court. The outer court had the brazen altar (which represented repentance) and the brazen laver (which represented baptism)
In this outer court, we not only continue in thanksgiving, but we also begin to praise God for His forgiveness and remissions of sins.
The inner court also known as the Holy Place we find some important furniture.
- Golden Candlestick – this was not a natural light, but without it, the tabernacle would have been in total darkness. Jesus Christ is our divine light. Without Him, we would be in darkness.
- Table of Shewbread – the priest ate the shewbread; this gave them strength. When we eat His Word, it gives us strength.
- Altar of Incense – the priest were shut in with God as they offer incense. When we pray, we ourselves shut ourselves in with God.
The last room was called the Holy of Holies. This is where the Ark of the Covenant was that represented the presence of God. In the Old Covenant, only the high priest could enter this area. The common man had no access to this room where the Spirit of God dwelled. That all changed at Calvary. When Christ died, the veil was torn, and it now gave us full access to His Spirit.
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.” Hebrews 10:19
Now I understand more why David said, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.” Psalm 122:1
The Message version words Psalm 100:4 this way, “Enter with the password: “Thank you!”
If you are having a bad day when you are coming to church, don’t forget the password! This will change everything about you.
You will look at life through the lenses of gratitude instead of un-thankfulness.
“For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” Psalm 100:5
