Scripture for Today: Psalm 118:19-20 “Open to  me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord.  This is the gate of the Lord, the righteous will enter through it.”

Over the years I have seen many beautiful gates in France.  They can stand before a breathtaking château or just a simple garden.  They are often ornate and have stood the test of time.  The ones at the palace at Versailles near Paris are golden and impressive.  We had an electronic gate at the end of our alley way.  Our French landlord put it up for our group of six resident families to discourage theft.  It also discouraged people from parking and blocking access.  The problem is, it often was out of order and was more of an inconvenience than a help!

There is a gate in our verse for today that is called “the gate of the Lord.”  I imagine it being ornate, made of shiny gold and too high to climb.  There is only one group of people who are allowed to enter it; the righteous.  When I read that, it is easy to feel that I am excluded.  I know that I am not righteous!

Thankfully, there is a righteousness that is available to me; the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ (Phil. 3:9).  HE is my righteousness.  His righteousness is promised to those who believe on Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead (Romans 4:24).  I have no righteousness of my own.  The saving work of Jesus opens those gates into His presence!  I can enter the gate of the Lord with confidence, thankfulness and praise.

Thank you Lord, for opening those gates to me!

(Look familiar?  This is a summer re-post due to ministry schedule.)