Psalm_100
Scripture
Psalm 100:4-5
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Observation- What does it say?
This Psalm was written as a hymn for the temple. The “gates” are the gates of the temple, and this was likely to accompany a thank offering.
Understanding- What does it mean?
I was speaking with a man the other day that was clearly upset with me. I knew this when he asked me about my goofy smile, but he asked using a few expletives. The only thing I could think at the time was, “I am always smiling.” This got me to thinking about why it is that I am always smiling. My closest guess is that, over time, I am learning to truly embrace the joy that comes with God’s never ending grace.
That’s not to say that everyday is like Disneyland. Much like everyone else, I still encounter the same trials and tribulations. The difference has been the perspective that I gain when viewing life’s problems in comparison to God’s love and forgiveness. This allows me to calmly accept the good with the bad, like when my A/C stops working. Where I once would have had a minor temper tantrum and destroyed everything in my path, I now have the realization that it will pass and I will probably never think about it when I am spending eternity in heaven.
I find that when I bring my focus on Jesus, joy and happiness follow everything I do a little easier. Much like Paul encouraged us to do in 1 Corinthians 10:31, let us go fourth and do what we do for His glory. Even if what we do means we are smiling when someone is cussing us out.
Life Application