Earlier this week I commented to some friends that the Lord has me on a journey toward thankfulness. I believe this stems from becoming distracted from the things that matter most, finding satisfaction in the Lord, family, friends, and basic necessities, all of which I have in abundance. Really, I lost perspective. 

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. (Psalm 100:4-5)

In the Bible, when referring to the gates it was often understood as the place of decisions and governance. The courts referred to the presence of the king. When our perspective is misaligned from the Lord, it is hard to give him praise. Allow me to slightly change the emphasis of the first two lines of the above passage. 

If we enter his gates with thanksgiving, then we will enter his courts with praise.

If we choose gratitude in the midst and through out our daily lives, then the joy we find in praising God is not far off. How to choose gratitude is as unique as the individual. For me, I had to abandon the things that distracted me from being present in the moment with those who are most important to me. For you it may be different, but if your goal is to regain a sense of gratitude, then God’s faithfulness will meet you along the way.

Grace and peace,

Brook