Thankful Praise
How often do you experience the thrill of true worship? In the Psalms there were references to anticipation, joy, and gratitude: “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations.” (Psalms 100:4-5 KJV)
The 100th Psalm was probably part of the liturgy in the temple at Jerusalem, something familiar to all who worshipped there. Also, as people made their pilgrimage from surrounding towns to worship in Jerusalem, they sang or chanted Psalms 119-133, which are called the “Song of Ascents” or “Songs of Steps” because they were walking uphill towards the Holy city, anticipating the things they would experience there.
Today, those kinds of behavior–road trips, music, and joyous anticipation are reserved more for athletic events, or maybe the Griswold’s excitement about going to Walley World…
More Than Even a Spectator Sport
To make a true comparison, picture how excited sports fans or families planning their Disney World extravaganza can get. Well, the pilgrims’ anticipation sung about here in the Psalms would have been even greater than the Griswold’s! If you have ever looked forward to a vacation, or planned a journey, then you know they were thinking about things they would see, points of interest, good things to eat, and new experiences. But there was an added dimension as well: these pilgrims were also thinking about worship.
They were going to the temple to worship Almighty God, and experience the hustle and bustle of the temple courts, the sights and sounds of sacrifice, the songs of other pilgrims, and the mystery and pageantry of the Levites performing their office. For those pilgrims, it was memorable, perhaps the experience of a lifetime. That is why they could say that they entered the gates with thanksgiving, and came into God’s courts with praise!
True Communion
They would affirm in that worship everything they believed, and they would experience a depth of communion with the Lord that would stay with them in their daily lives from that moment on. Can you think of any worship experience that has done that for you? Are there moments of reverence or communion that sit as touchstones in your heart, reminders of what true worship is?
In most temple services, they would sing this Psalm, a hymn of thanksgiving. As they sang about being thankful, they were reminded of God’s goodness. They would bless his name. They would recall His mercy, and they would reflect upon His truth. I bet in days following, perhaps on the trip home, they would hum this song and remember all that God had done for them…
Raise Your Expectations
How often do we just go to church, ho-hum, without any anticipation or expectations? Have you ever thought about actually getting ready for your next worship experience? What are you thankful for today? Are you basking in the Lord’s mercy? Does His truth mean something to you? What song is in your heart? “For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations.” That included the pilgrims. It includes OUR generation as well. Take a moment now and anticipate your next opportunity to worship, and give thanks! Enter into His courts with praise!
A Glad Song
Enter His courts with gladness; come into His house with praise!
Worship the Lord with all your heart and walk in all of His ways.
Sing to the Lord a new song; shout, and lift your voice!
Exalt the Lord and His Holy name, and let your heart rejoice!
His mercy is everlasting; His word is alive and true;
The Lord of hosts has come to redeem all things and make them new!
Worship the Lord with gladness, and enter His gates with praise:
Humble yourself before the Lord, and follow Him all of your days.
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