Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name! For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations. (Psalm 100:4,5 ESV)
Practice
My Father, commenting on my Driver’s Education, uttered, “The most important part of driving is caution. Practice caution. Practice, practice, practice… because you need to be cautious every time you drive.”
Similarly, the most important part of a Christian’s life is thanksgiving. Practice thanksgiving. Practice, practice, practice… because you will be thankful every moment of eternity. Do not wait, though… start now!
We enter His gates whenever we enter His kingdom. While we usually consider this happening in corporate worship, Christians actually are always in His kingdom. And even more, we will enter His gates when our bodies die, and we are resurrected in His presence.
Christians enter God’s gates with thanksgiving because we know how richly filled our cups are. God made us. God redeems us. God adopts us. God loves us. All through Christ Jesus. We think we know it now, but when we are THERE… oh, we will know it! His command to be thankful will be as natural as breathing.
And that ultimate immeasurable goodness and grandness will endure forever! Through all generations. Through all eternity.
Get used to thanksgiving.
Start practicing it now.