Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” Psalm 100:4

Thanksgiving often means lots of food and football. I’m not prone to football analogies, but this past week, I couldn’t help myself. It all started with my college reunion and the presentation of the homecoming court at the Louisiana Tech game. Had I been one of the homecoming princesses, the announcer would have said, “This is Miss Dyann Marie Johnson, from Bakersfield, CA, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Maret Burns Johnson.” My friend from Baton Rouge leaned over and said: “Who your family is, is very important here.”

A few days later, my husband and I were watching the Monday night football game. The Seattle Seahawks were down by 10 points. You could hear the quarterback rallying his team with, “Come on, get your mind right; let’s go!” Later, as I was lying in bed, I couldn’t stop thinking about these two phrases and how they apply to our spiritual life.

Who our family is, is important! We are children of God, the creator of heaven and earth! God is our Father! We are adopted into His family. God has grafted us into the true vine. We are complete in Christ. Isaiah 47:7 says God is King of all the earth. Therefore, we are children of the KING! I don’t know about you, but I forget this reality. I don’t live my life as a child of the KING.

Little boy holding a Bible while praying

Setting Our MInds Right

In scripture, God tells us over and over to get our minds right about who we are in relationship to Him. The victory is won. He tells us to set our mind on the eternal, not the earthly; to fix our eyes on Him, the creator of heaven and earth, the author and perfecter of faith. He is in control, and He promises He will never leave us or forsake us. We are new creatures in Christ. He is the vine, and we are the branches. We have the mind of Christ. We are loved! God, our Father, gave everything for me and you, even His son, Jesus!

Many of us are entering an unknown season as we age, our bodies and our minds are changing, and sometimes they fail us. It is more important than ever to claim who we are and whose hand we hold. We need to get and keep our minds RIGHT.

Colossians 3:1, 2 says, “Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, my prayer is we will enter the season with thanksgiving for the family of God, our family, and to live in this reality. I love what Paul says in Philippians 3:1, “Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.” Meditating on these truths is our safeguard.

Regardless of the circumstances of your current situation, there is much to be grateful for. Are you celebrating a time of peace and joy in your life? Give thanks. Is this a difficult time? Perhaps a loss or illness? Offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. God is with you. He loves you. You are part of the family of God. You are His beloved! I encourage you to let your mind dwell on who you are in Christ, who your eternal family is, and the privilege of being a child of the KING.

Blessings,

Personal Parables is the blog of Dyann Shepard. Get Dyann’s complementary study in Proverbs and prayer guide, What to Do When You Don’t Feel Good Enough. If you need encouragement to remember the truth about yourself in times of doubt and anxiety, this free 5-day study is for you. Follow Dyann and Personal Parables on Instagram and Facebook. Dyann is available for speaking, guest blogging, and article writing.

P.S. I am offering a sacrifice of praise and thanks in advance for my son’s healing. I am also grateful for my dear friend, Catherine O’Brien, who makes my monthly blog post possible with her amazing technical gifts.

Scripture for Meditation

Give thanks! Below are some passages for further meditation on thanksgiving.

I John 3:1(a) “ See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (NIV)

John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (NIV)

Colossians 2:10,” and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” (NKJV)

II Corinthians 5:17 “ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (NKJV)

II Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (NKJV)

Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (NKJV)

Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (NKJV)

Ephesians 3:14-19, “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (NKJV)

Hebrews 13:15-16, “Therefore, let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good, and to share, for, with such sacrifices, God is well pleased.” (NKJV)

You may be interested to read a compilation of scripture that speaks to who you are in Christ. Click here to see the list. Credit: This list was compiled by Neil Anderson.