Experiencing God's Presence #327

Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise.

Psalm 100:4

We want closer encounters with the Lord. We ask for them and wait for them. We position our hearts to receive them. Still, we hunger for a “how.” We want to know the secret to experiencing more of His Presence.

Perhaps a key is found in this familiar psalm of praise. We often read it with the assumption that it describes the attitudes we should have when we approach God—that as we go into His Presence, this is how we should respond. But what if it’s an instruction for how to get into the awareness of His Presence in the first place? Reading it through the first lens says, “When you come to God, you should be thankful and worship Him.” Reading it through the second lens says, “If you really want to come into God’s Presence, gratitude and praise are the keys that open the door.” The whole purpose shifts.

Clearly, the first reading contains truth. We should be grateful and worshipful as we come to God. But the second reading seems to be true as well, as experienced by many who have not sensed His Presence until they chose to express gratitude and praise to Him. Many testify that God felt distant when they were discouraged or confused or apathetic and that waiting to be filled with gratitude and praise got them nowhere. But when they chose to find something to give thanks for and decided to praise Him in spite of their mood, the spiritual atmosphere shifted and God showed up. Thanks and praise led them into a deeper experience with Him.

Be intentional about your thanksgiving and see yourself entering His courts as you express it. Let that response to God open the door into His Presence. He comes to us when we come to Him with thanks and praise.

Lord, thank You for the things I normally take for granted. I can find much to be grateful for. You have poured many blessings out on me, and I rejoice at Your goodness.

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