Access!

Access!

Psalm 100:4 KJV

[4] Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Psalms 100:4 TPT

[4] You can pass through his open gates with the password of praise. Come right into his presence with thanksgiving. Come bring your thank offering to him and affectionately bless his beautiful name!

The initial tabernacle that was built under God's guidance by Moses as Israel journeyed in the wilderness gives us a glimpse into the impact and import of the verse above. This structure was set up in a way that reflected the glory of God, as well as His desire to have fellowship and interaction with His children. He is a Holy God, and holiness has been His guiding principle from the beginning of creation till today. He has not lowered, and He will not lower the standard for anyone, no matter who you are, or what you have achieved. Sin has always, and will always be a barrier to access to God, because He hates sin. This is both an admonition and a warning to all who seek to come to God; you have to come to Him on His own terms, not yours. I do not determine by myself what God accepts; He does. 

Under the same tabernacle, God prescribed offerings for different things, all in a bid to ensure that the people of Israel could always come near to Him. This principle has not changed, as He continues to seek people to worship Him acceptably, with reverence and awe. Reflect on a God who destroyed priests who offered unholy fire before Him; a God who allowed the ground to open up to swallow whole generations; the God who chose to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend, and you get the clear impression that God loves it when we come to Him on His terms. He seeks those who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. Is there any excuse that is tenable and strong enough to keep you from the presence of God? Do you think that the stain of your past is so strong that it can keep you away from the One who shed His blood so you could make an approach into the place of His grace and mercy? 

That is the picture that this access promotes. The same God; different generations. The same God; same grace of access. The same God; less physical sacrifices of blood, and more of spiritual sacrifices of total surrender to the Lordship and Authority of Jesus. The same God; access is given to all to come into the presence of this mighty God. You come with a mix of both fear and awe; you come before the Creator of the ends of the earth, who has no before or after, and who continues to be God, no matter what happens to all of the heavens and the earth as we see or know them now. The prescriptions are laid out: thanksgiving into His gates; praise into His courts. Focus on God; get his attention and see Him work wonders. Do not let the physical realities around you keep you from the focus on who God is and what He can do. What would you do? Would you come? God's time of favour is here.