In the Bible gates were really important. They weren’t just wooden doors or stone arches. Gates were symbols of protection, of decisions, of entering into something new. In the last episode, we talked about shepherds being the “gate” for their sheep. Today, we’re going to picture what it means to step through God’s gate with thanksgiving. Psalm 100, verse 4 says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and bless his name.”

So far in this season, we’ve learned that gratitude begins with a joyful noise and that it can steady us when life doesn’t go as planned. But there’s another kind of gratitude that runs even deeper—the kind that comes from knowing exactly who you belong to. Think about it: one of the scariest feelings is being left out. Like when you walk into the lunchroom, tray in hand, and you don’t know where to sit. Everyone wants a place to belong. And Psalm 100, verse 3 tells us that no matter what, we do belong . . . to God. We are His sheep. His people.

Everybody knows you’re supposed to give thanks and show gratitude to God. But have you ever wondered, Why is it so important? or What if I’m having a hard day and I don’t feel grateful? or even, What if expressing gratitude makes me look silly in front of my friends? If that’s you, then you’re in the right place, because this season of the True Girl podcast is called “Gates of Gratitude.” Dannah Gresh and Staci Rudolph are exploring Psalm 100, one verse at a time. It’s a psalm all about thanksgiving. We’ll dig into some of your hard questions.

Everybody knows you’re supposed to give thanks and show gratitude to God. But have you ever wondered, Why is it so important? or What if I’m having a hard day and I don’t feel grateful? or even, What if expressing gratitude makes me look silly in front of my friends? If that’s you, then you’re in the right place, because this season of the True Girl podcast is called “Gates of Gratitude.” Dannah Gresh and Staci Rudolph are exploring Psalm 100, one verse at a time. It’s a psalm all about thanksgiving. We’ll dig into some of your hard questions.