“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.”
— Psalm 100:4 (NIV)
There’s something sacred about looking back.
We spend so much time reaching for what’s next — the next goal, the next breakthrough, the next open door — that we forget to pause and say, “Lord, thank You for what You’ve already done.”
Psalm 100:4 is a beautiful reminder that the pathway into God’s presence begins with gratitude. Not with asking. Not with striving. But with thanksgiving. And that kind of thankfulness isn’t always spontaneous. Sometimes, we have to intentionally reflect on what we’ve come through.
I want to encourage you today: take some time to look back over the last year. Even the hard parts. Especially the hard parts. Grab a journal or even just a scrap of paper, and start writing down what you’re grateful for.
What doors opened that you weren’t expecting?
What prayers were answered — even if the answer looked different than you thought?
Who showed up when you needed support?
What lessons did you learn that made you stronger, wiser, or more compassionate?
You might be surprised at how much there is to celebrate when you slow down and look closely.
Gratitude shifts the atmosphere. It brings peace to our present and faith for our future. When we remember what God has done, it becomes easier to trust Him with what’s next.
So go ahead — take inventory. Not of what’s missing, but of what’s been given. Let your heart swell with gratitude as you enter His courts with praise.
You have more to be thankful for than you know.