Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” Psalm 100:4

Thanksgiving (Hebrew: tôwdâh) used in this verse gives us a visual of gratitude expressed in the company of others. In January 2023 on a trip to Israel, our tour guide led us through several ancient gates to enter cities like Tel Dan and Jerusalem. As our group walked through the gates, I imagined what it would have been like for the Israelites to enter these ancient gates singing songs together of praise and thanksgiving. To “enter into his gates” means we come into God’s presence.

In John 10:7-9 Jesus describes himself as the “gate for the sheep.” Jesus makes it possible for us to enter directly into God’s presence and we don’t have to wait for a crowd to join us. We can simply give him thanks and praise from anywhere. During my morning walks on the beach, I see his glory in a sunrise and I thank him as the giver of this beautiful morning. Where do you like to thank God? What can you thank him for today?