Countdown to Midnight

December 31st, the last day of  the year or New Year's Eve, is a day to reflect on the past year and declare hopes, dreams and expectations of the coming year.  Today is different from all of the other days.  There is a celebratory spirit (if you will) in the air.  It is nation wide and not influenced by religion or race.  It happens at the same time for all of us--Midnight.

 

At midnight the ball drops in New York City, a kiss is shared between loved ones, a champagne toast is given and all is right with the world.  At least this is what media has told us.  This is how we bring in the new year America! 

 

Personally, I have never been to New York and my typical New Year's Eve is spent on the couch trying to stay awake to watch the legendary ball drop when the clock strikes twelve.  I am certain it will be no different tonight.

 

However, this year I want to reflect on all that The Lord has done for me.  I am going to thank Him for the storms He has brought me through and the battles He has fought for me.  I know He has fought them because II Chronicles 32:8 says, "With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles."

 

I will praise Him for the good times and the bad because Philippians 4:4 says, "Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice."

 

"Thus far the Lord has helped us"

I Samuel 7:12

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!



Enter His Gates

Why do we have gates? The answer seems simple enough.  A gate is used to easily enter a fenced area.  The definition of gate, according to Merriam-Webster, is a part of a barrier that opens and closes like a door.  The word gate is used often in the Bible.  We must enter the gate to be in the presence of the Lord. 

A verse I read in Psalms this morning, inspired me to write this.  It states, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name" (Psalms 100:4).

We are told to enter with thanksgiving.  Psalms 118:19-20 says, "Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.  This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter."

We know the gate to the kingdom of God is small as stated in Matthew 7:14, "But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

If the gate is small, it seems to me that we cannot go through it with a lot of stuff.  We can't go through if we are full of ourselves, fat with pride or arrogance, and loaded down with baggage of unforgiveness and bitterness.  All of the "stuff" that weighs down our soul must be left at the gate to enter.  There simply is not room to carry it in.

Sometimes we may try to sneak a little something in the gate with us, because that's the way we are, aren't we?  The rules don't really apply to us.  No one will notice, right? Well...
The Lord will notice according to Psalms 139:2, "You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar."

We are to enter His gates with thanksgiving in our heart--NOTHING ELSE. If we needed something else God would have told us.  Whatever it is, leave it outside the gate.  Hebrews 13:12 tell us, "And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood."  Jesus suffered for us, outside the gate. We can give Jesus all of our "stuff" that keeps us from going through the gate.  We can give him our pride, we can give him our unforgiveness, we can give him the sin--that thing that has a hold on our life.  We can give it to Jesus, say 'Thank You', and go through the gate.

It boils down to this in Revelation 22:14-15, the final chapter of the Bible, "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood."

When this life is over, I want to be inside the gates of the New Jerusalem.  Don't you?