Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving

God loved you before you loved Him, so keep your love alive by telling Him you love Him… every single day.

God created your inmost being. He knit you together in your mother’s womb. He knows the number of hairs on your head. He delights in you and loves your company. He designed you with a purpose and has good plans for your future. There is nothing you can do to make Him love you more or less.

We love because He first loved us. – 1 John 4:19

Now fuel your passion by declaring your love back to Him! Tell Him you love Him. Speak words of love to Him every day.

God speaks His love into your life, so read His love letter to you — the Bible — daily.

Nick told me that he loved me. He whispered it. He wrote it. He declared it over and over, and as he did, I drank it in like a thirsty sponge. His love fed me and eventually stirred my love for him.

God’s love for you can do the same. Do you long to hear His voice declaring His love for you? You can drink in the great depths of His love for you as you abide in His Word daily.

There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t talk to Nick or connect with him in some way, and I would be crazy to think that my relationship with God should be any different if I want to keep my passion alive. I don’t know how else to say this other than to just say it:

Read Your Bible. It is filled with His promises and will fill you with His wisdom to keep you on track with your destiny.

My prayer for you is that you may “experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God” (Ephesians 3:19).

God rejoices over you with singing, so keep your love alive by giving Him your thanks and praise.

He loves you so much He has brought untold joy into your life.

He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. – Zephaniah 3:17

He has given you eyes to see the colors of this world and ears to enjoy the sounds of birds singing, babies laughing, and music that stirs your soul. Respond by delighting Him with words and music of praise and gratitude.

I believe that music is an untapped treasure chest that can carry the heart of God, shift the atmosphere of a room, and help change our perspective in the midst of our circumstances.

The Bible says to “enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise” (Psalm 100:4). When you find it difficult to connect with God or stir your passion for Him, start by thanking Him for all He has done and then find a praise and worship song to sing as a declaration of His promise in the midst of your current situation. I cannot tell you how this simple act has helped me to keep running so many times throughout my Christian walk.

Watch the Unstoppable Video

Excerpted with permission from Unstoppable: Running the Race You Were Born to Win by Christine Caine, copyright Zondervan 2014

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Your Turn

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. – Psalm 100:4 God loves us! Today, join us in telling Him of our love for Him in return. He gave us His Word, an indescribable gift. Let’s raise our voices and praise Him today for His unimaginable grace and love for us! ~ Devotionals Daily