Psalms 100 Series - Part 4

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
                                         Psalms 100:4 (KJV)
 







Hi friends,

     How are you today?  In pondering Psalms 100:4, I have just as many questions as I do answers.  I am curious about the words gates and courts. Are they meant to be two separate places or does the author just not want to use the same word over and over again? Are they literal places or are they meant to be figurative for drawing close to God?

     Somehow, I don’t think it matters, because I don’t think the “place” is the important part of the message.  I think we are always called to be thankful for all the things God does for us and to bless His name.  So, to say that we should “enter his gates with thanksgiving” and to ponder where those gates may be might mean we are missing the point.  What do you think?  Let’s put our efforts into the thanksgiving part.

     Do we thank God for all that we have, all that we are, all that we do, all that we see, all that we hear, all that we smell, all that we taste, all that we touch, all that we feel, all that we know, and all that we experience?  Do we thank God for our relationships and our very existence?  Do we not only say the words “thank you”, but also show our thankfulness?

     Now, let’s look at the second part of Psalms 100:4.  Not only are we called to be thankful for all God provides and does for us, but we are called to praise Him and bless His name.  So, what does that mean?  What does it mean to “bless His name”?  To me, to “bless His name” is to testify to others about the goodness of God. Do we tell others of the greatness of God?
  
     As we can see that verse four of Psalm 100, keeps with the theme of joy.  We are called to be joyful of what God provides and does for us, to thank Him and to tell others of His greatness as well.  We can be joyful, if we are thankful, encouraging, and praising God.
 
Heavenly Father,
     Thank you for being our Creator, our Teacher, our Heavenly Father, and our Shepherd. Thank you for Psalm 100, which shows us how to be joyful. Help us to come to you in thanksgiving and to sing your praises, so that others will do the same.  I ask you this through your Son, Jesus.  Amen.
 
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Reflective questions for Psalms 100:4 (KJV):
*What does Psalms 100:4 mean to me?
*What do “his gates” and “his courts” mean? Is that the point?
*How can I show God my thankfulness?
*How can I bless His name? 
*Do I come to God in thanksgiving?
*Do I praise His name?
*What can I do to better follow the calling in Psalms 100:4?

Now, it is your turn.
     Thank you so much for being here.  If you haven't read other posts in the Psalms 100 Series, you may want to read them as well:
Psalms 100 Series - Part 1
Psalms 100 Series - Part 2
Psalms 100 Series - Part 3.
     I enjoy hearing your thoughts.  I am encouraged by your comments and testimony.  So, please, comment below or contact me.  If you find value in what I write, please share the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations with friends and family.  If you haven't signed up to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content, please consider signing up below.  (Don't forget to check at least the "faith" box.)
    

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