“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.” Psalm 100:4
Dear Ones:
What is God like? Though we see His handiwork in creation, catching a slight, but limited glimpse of His goodness in and through His creation, God is unlike anything we could possibly know on this earth. Why? The answer resides in the one word, “holy.” That word distinguishes Him from all that is of this creation. It sets Him apart in such a manner that is so vast and incomprehensible, that sinful man cannot grasp the difference. It is for this reason that the only way we can truly have a true thought of God is by HIS intervention. By the chosen and deliberate revelation of Himself in His word, and through creation, God unveils to our darkened minds the truth of Himself, that we might know Him IN TRUTH. What then do we discover in Psalm 100, concerning this King of Glory, this Maker of us all, this Almighty Shepherd? We find the bedrock of true goodness, and the beauty of the experience of that which is good.
The psalmist begins by speaking of being joyful in the presence of God. Why? God, in His goodness, delights in our joy, and that freedom of spirit by which we should come to Him. Progressing to the matter of serving God, we are confronted again with this matter of being joyful, being glad. The right relationship of the creation, specifically with regard to the believer, is characterized by joy and gladness. This IS the natural order, and response, to the goodness of God.
God, in His pursuit of us all, is always seeking to bring us to a true knowledge of Himself, and what should be our relationship with Him. Essential to this relationship is the fact of Him being the creator, not only of the physical world, but of the believer. “Know ye that the Lord, He is God; it is HE that hath made us.” (v.3) David would write extensively on this matter in Psalm 139. Paul would do so also in his letter to the Romans, chapter 1. The very beginning of the Bible begins in this manner. The creation of man by the Creator is an essential truth which brings us into a right perspective, and relationship with God. How? It reveals to us that we are not our own. We are not haphazard in our existence, but belong to God by creation. “We ARE His people, and the sheep of His pasture.” But, how does this knowledge bring us into an experience of God, truly knowing Him?
The Psalmist declares to us that we are to “…enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.” (v.4) These words are a call to faith, a faith based upon the truth. That truth of the revealed goodness of God, lays the foundation for God to come and reveal Himself increasingly to our hearts and minds. It also provides us with a knowledge of how we are to respond to His goodness in our coming to Him, with thanksgiving, praise, and blessing His name. In coming to Him in this manner, we are not only recognizing God’s goodness, but worshiping Him for it. In this great crescendo of heavenly, chorale worship, there is the declaration of who and what God truly is: “For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endures to all generations.” (v.5)
What is the great purpose of God, and of the psalmist, in giving us this psalm? It is first to unveil to fallen man the holy nature of God, His perfect goodness in creation and redemption. Secondly, it is to give to man a “way” to God, a knowledge of his proper response to the revelation of His goodness. And thirdly, it is to bring man into those “gates” and “courts,” there to know and experience in worship, and service, that eternal goodness of God.
Dear Father, Blessed God of goodness, who art all good, open our eyes to see Thy goodness, and worship Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad