November 4:
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. – Psalm 100:4
How are your Sunday mornings? Do you wake up late,
rush to get ready, toil with the kids and your spouse,
arguing in the car on the way, finally to arrive with little
thought about having a thankful heart?
If you are like many people, Sunday can be a stressful time
rather than a restful time. If you are like many people, you
come to “church,” wondering what there is here for YOU.
If you are like many people, you think more about what
you are going to have for lunch AFTER church than what
you are doing DURING church.
David’s reflection on how we approach our time of
corporate worship and fellowship often brings conviction to
my heart. Do I neglect to prepare my heart for this time?
Have I come with a heart overflowing with thanksgiving
and praise, prepared to bless His name?
You might want to ask yourself those same questions.
They might just totally change your worship experience the
next time you go to “church.” In fact, if we consider our
very lives a living and holy sacrifice, as we are instructed in
Romans 12, I would say that this thanksgiving and praise
should not just be a “Sunday go to meeting” attitude but a
daily exercise of our faith in the living God.
From that perspective, every door, be it at work, school,
home or anywhere, might be considered “entering His
gates.” Are we entering those gates with hearts of
thanksgiving and praise? Give Thanks!