Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him. Bless His name! (Verse 4)
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. I Thessalonians 5:16-18
And we know that for all those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purposes. Romans 8:28
I just read the morning paper and there's some awful stuff going on out there in the big wide world. Wars, murders, rapes, fires, bankruptcies, moral failures. Last night I heard from one of my dearest friends who'd lost yet another beloved relative in a string of deaths that defy the heart's ability to cope. Not her fault. No way she can control things spinning out of control. Life runs counter to our running through the gates into God's presence with thanksgiving and praise sometimes. Rather we want to stomp in wondering what in the world He's up to. Doesn't He see? Or we crawl in defeated by the harsh circumstances of this life. What's it going to take for us, instead, to enter His gates with thanksgiving and praise? How do we do that when we've been laid low?
It seems from these verses that my Father wants me to choose thanksgiving and praise. Not for all things, but in all things. It is assenting to the fact that He's in control. Verifying in my heart that He is right here with me in my circumstance, whether it's dire or dance-worthy. That I know when I come before God, I enter a holy place where the One Who rules all of everything is aware of me. First just that. My Father knows and sees me. Isn't surprised by my success or failure. Knows any heartache I have because He feels it with me, not just for me. Thank you, Father, that I am never, ever alone.
When I enter God's courts in prayer, I go to the very place where I will spend eternity with Him. His house. The center of it. What's going on there right now? Praise and thanksgiving. Continually. Forever. Without ceasing. We can't fully realize the power of the throne room without understanding the pulsing praise that resounds and echoes through heaven: " Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come! Worthy are You, O Lord, our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created." (Revelation 4) The energy of the universe and beyond finds its epicenter at the throne of God. All power opens up the door to me at any given moment so that I can gain access to His very heart. And He looks at me. Thank you, my Father, that you've made a way for me to be near to You.
When things on earth are nearly unbearable, my Father's courts are my hope. Being there makes being here seem thin, evanescent and paltry in comparison. From the beginning, the Godhead had a plan for Earth and the people on it. It's a big plan. Far beyond my comprehension as I watch it play out from my very limited standpoint. The Bible blueprints it so I have a vague and general idea of the end of things. But what weighs more heavily on me, at times, is God's plans for me and those closest to me. Those plans I'm interested in for many reasons, not the least of which is that I know He has a dream for me. Something I've been placed here on this planet at this time to be and to do. He's promised that He will complete that in me. "And I am sure of this, that He Who began a good work in you will bring it to completion in the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1) The highs and lows are all part of the journey that takes me ultimately and physically into His presence forever. I can be assured that my life isn't an arbitrary mix of events that muddle together at the end of my days into the collage that became my life. God's purposes are being worked out in me because He loves me and has a goal in mind--a race for me to run--the end of which is joy in His arms. Thank you, Father, that wherever my path takes me, leads me to Your greater purposes for me and for others. Thank you that You've walked it before my feet hit the dust of the trail, preparing my destiny for my joy and your great glory.
Maybe only then can we truly enter through His courts and into the Holy of Holies with the other things that press us in, make us short of breath and small in spirit. Thanksgiving and praise reminds us of Who He is before we take all of our wants and needs into His almighty presence.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. I Thessalonians 5:16-18
And we know that for all those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purposes. Romans 8:28
I just read the morning paper and there's some awful stuff going on out there in the big wide world. Wars, murders, rapes, fires, bankruptcies, moral failures. Last night I heard from one of my dearest friends who'd lost yet another beloved relative in a string of deaths that defy the heart's ability to cope. Not her fault. No way she can control things spinning out of control. Life runs counter to our running through the gates into God's presence with thanksgiving and praise sometimes. Rather we want to stomp in wondering what in the world He's up to. Doesn't He see? Or we crawl in defeated by the harsh circumstances of this life. What's it going to take for us, instead, to enter His gates with thanksgiving and praise? How do we do that when we've been laid low?
It seems from these verses that my Father wants me to choose thanksgiving and praise. Not for all things, but in all things. It is assenting to the fact that He's in control. Verifying in my heart that He is right here with me in my circumstance, whether it's dire or dance-worthy. That I know when I come before God, I enter a holy place where the One Who rules all of everything is aware of me. First just that. My Father knows and sees me. Isn't surprised by my success or failure. Knows any heartache I have because He feels it with me, not just for me. Thank you, Father, that I am never, ever alone.
When I enter God's courts in prayer, I go to the very place where I will spend eternity with Him. His house. The center of it. What's going on there right now? Praise and thanksgiving. Continually. Forever. Without ceasing. We can't fully realize the power of the throne room without understanding the pulsing praise that resounds and echoes through heaven: " Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come! Worthy are You, O Lord, our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created." (Revelation 4) The energy of the universe and beyond finds its epicenter at the throne of God. All power opens up the door to me at any given moment so that I can gain access to His very heart. And He looks at me. Thank you, my Father, that you've made a way for me to be near to You.
When things on earth are nearly unbearable, my Father's courts are my hope. Being there makes being here seem thin, evanescent and paltry in comparison. From the beginning, the Godhead had a plan for Earth and the people on it. It's a big plan. Far beyond my comprehension as I watch it play out from my very limited standpoint. The Bible blueprints it so I have a vague and general idea of the end of things. But what weighs more heavily on me, at times, is God's plans for me and those closest to me. Those plans I'm interested in for many reasons, not the least of which is that I know He has a dream for me. Something I've been placed here on this planet at this time to be and to do. He's promised that He will complete that in me. "And I am sure of this, that He Who began a good work in you will bring it to completion in the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1) The highs and lows are all part of the journey that takes me ultimately and physically into His presence forever. I can be assured that my life isn't an arbitrary mix of events that muddle together at the end of my days into the collage that became my life. God's purposes are being worked out in me because He loves me and has a goal in mind--a race for me to run--the end of which is joy in His arms. Thank you, Father, that wherever my path takes me, leads me to Your greater purposes for me and for others. Thank you that You've walked it before my feet hit the dust of the trail, preparing my destiny for my joy and your great glory.
Maybe only then can we truly enter through His courts and into the Holy of Holies with the other things that press us in, make us short of breath and small in spirit. Thanksgiving and praise reminds us of Who He is before we take all of our wants and needs into His almighty presence.
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