The Gateway to Joy
Joy is something we all long for, yet so often we look for it in the wrong places. We think it will come when life gets easier, when our prayers are answered, when our circumstances improve or when everything finally falls into place. But Psalm 100 points us towards a different path. It teaches us that the gateway to joy is gratitude. “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” Psalm 100:4 A grateful heart sees life differently. Gratitude does not deny the reality of pain, disappointment or difficulty, but it changes the way we walk through them. Enter through the door of gratitude Psalm 100:4 invites us to enter God’s gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Notice the order: before we enter His courts, we first pass through the gateway of thanksgiving. Gratitude is the doorway into God’s presence. Praise flows naturall...