If we believe that we are the temple where God’s Holy Spirit dwells, what might the gate which allows entrance to our hearts be like? Is it elegant and ornate to passerby’s? Is it fortified with locks, chains and bars of iron? Can the gate be opened? And who will open it?
Ponder anew and enter that gate today. And may God give us the courage to trust his goodness and enduring love when we cannot see or feel it.
This is what the Lord says…I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness-secret riches…Isaiah 45:2-3
Psalm 100 (NIV)
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Footnotes:
Psalm 100:3 Or and not we ourselves
For Reflection and Prayer:
What word, phrase, image, or feeling caught your attention as you listened? Bring it into your prayer with Jesus. Journal what Jesus says to you in response.
How does your soul want to respond to God in worship? What forms of worship seemed heartfelt to you in the past? Are there different (to you) forms of worship which you feel drawn to now?
When has God shown his goodness or enduring love to you? Perhaps you want to journal the details. Savor and linger with what the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Bring to God your own thanksgiving list. What do you notice?