Enter Into His Courts

Shout joyfully to the Lord....Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting  And His faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100

As I read this Psalm this morning, I wonder what takes place in my life that keeps me from entering into the divine throne room of a God who declares His eternal love for me and extends lovingkindness that is everlasting. What prevents me from entering into His courts and having an audience with a God who has created the heavens and earth, and everything in it, and declares it "Very Good" (Genesis 1:31)? What clouds my vision of His goodness and faithfulness to all generations? It is not having an accurate vision of who He is. Years ago I recall insisting that something was wrong with my front windshield. I was convinced that the manufacturer had installed a faulty windshield and that it needed to be replaced. I pursued my husband to follow up on this and get the company to install a replacement shield. Until my shield was replaced, I decided  I would have to continue my constant cleaning. What I learned was that the distortion did not come from the manufacturer, but from faulty vision on my end. I ended up with corrective lenses, bifocals, and the problem was solved. I was living life with distorted vision. This distortion kept me from understanding the true nature of the problem. Perhaps this is why today's reading of Psalm 100 strikes a chord within my heart. This is a Psalm of praise and worship, but to shout joyfully, serve Him with gladness, and to come before Him with joyful singing, I must hold out before me an accurate vision of who He is. He is Elohim, God my creator. He is El-Elyon, the God who is sovereign over all He created, and declares that His purposes will be established. All that He has planned He will surely accomplish (Isaiah 46: 9-11). He is El Roi, the God who sees everything and does not forsake those who seek Him (Psalm 9:10). He is El Shaddai, the all sufficient One. In Him I am assured that there is no other power on earth that can render me complete but Him. With this vision of God, then I can easily enter into His courts and render praise. Today, consider what it is that clouds your vision from seeing a God who promises to be faithful and good to the end. 

Today, Lord, correct the lens of my heart so that I can see, with clarity, the reality of who you are. You are a good God. May my mouth praise you and my heart sing with joy, that you, Oh God, are worthy of my praise.