Psalms 118:19-21 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD. 20 This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it. 21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
These verses are far more than ancient lyrics — they are a spiritual invitation. The psalmist doesn’t just admire the gate — he pleads for it to open. “Open to me the gates of righteousness…” This is the cry of a heart that longs for access to God, not by merit, but by mercy. In Hebrew thought, gates represent transition points — thresholds between the common and the holy, the outside and the inner court, the temporal and the eternal. These are not man-made doors — they are divine entrances into the presence and promises of the LORD.
Verse 20 declares, “This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it.” But who can enter? Psalm 24 asks, “Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? He who has clean hands and a pure heart.” The truth is, none of us are righteous by our own strength. But here lies the mystery revealed in the Gospel: Yeshua (Jesus) is the Gate. He declared in John 10:9, “I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved.” He is both the way in and the One waiting on the other side.
Prophetically, this passage also points to the moment Yeshua entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey (Matthew 21), greeted by shouts of “Hosanna!” The gates of the city — and of salvation — were opening, and many missed it. But the righteous, those who discerned the moment, welcomed the King. This moment foreshadowed the greater entry Yeshua would make through the gates of heaven after His resurrection, carrying the victory of the cross and the promise of our access to the Father.
Verse 21 brings the worshiper full circle: “I thank You that You have answered me and have become my salvation.” In Hebrew, “You have become my Yeshua.” The cry at the gate has been heard. The way has been made. And the only fitting response is worship. Not just thanks for what God has done — but for who He has become.
The gate is open. Yeshua didn’t just open it — He is it. Don’t stand outside when the way has been made. Don’t admire the threshold — walk through it. Enter boldly. Enter with thanksgiving. Enter clothed in His righteousness, not your own. The time for hesitation is over. The blood has been shed. The veil has been torn. The call has been made. Step through the Gate of the LORD and declare with all your heart: “You have become my salvation!” Let your praise shake the courts of heaven. The door is open—go in!
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Approaching a new year always seems to carry a sense of adventure and expectation, although that attitude is not normally mixed with the level of trepidation we might be feeling just now. Moses’ successor Joshua, one of two faithful spies, seems to have embodied this sense of courageous expectation much of his life, but even he needed an extra dose of Divine encouragement as the Lord commanded him to cross the Jordan and take possession of the promised Land.
There were thousands of people bundled up in freezing New York weather to witness a few short seconds during which a descending ball of light announces the arrival of a New Year — 2023. These hardy people endured the freezing air to mark the passage of time, but even more, because they were anticipating a “new beginning!” Saying goodbye to a tumultuous 2023, they were looking forward to making a fresh start in 2024!
As we approach the New Year, we’re back to making New Year’s resolutions … but this year is a bit different, since it’s not only a New Year but a New Decade! During the past ten years we’ve seen such radical changes in our society; the definition of marriage, millennia-old norms of gender identity, bath and locker-room privacy, have all been affected by court decisions as a sea change in social mores has swept through the western world. People of Biblical faith are witnessing the fulfillment of Isaiah’s warning, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” [Isaiah 5:20]
Once upon a time, there was a prince who received a very rare and beautiful bird. He named her Goldie and placed her in a lovely, 14K gold cage. But the poor creature was not impressed by the gold at all. She pleaded for her freedom but the prince loved her much too much to part with her. Still, she continued to beg. In final desperation, she asked that he at least allow her go to her relatives and tell them that, though captive, she was still alive.
I came across an old legend about three cowboys crossing the desert on horseback by night. Suddenly, as they reached a rocky spot, a voice came from heaven and commanded them: “Friends, pick up some pebbles, put them in your pockets and do not look at them till morning.” The men looked at each other in astonishment and began to do as they were told. The voice went on to promise that if they obeyed, they would be both glad and sad. The perplexed men put a few pebbles each in their pockets and went on their way.
When I teach about “understanding the will of God,” I’d like to talk about a story that is told in all the synoptic gospels, except that Luke’s account gives a significant nuance. (Many skeptical Bible “critics” point out differences in the gospels to argue that they can’t be reliable — yet it’s actually the differences that support the validity of these accounts because they reveal that the events recorded were simply experienced and told from slightly different viewpoints, a very common circumstance when people are telling a story.)
Over the past few days, one of our servers that hosts roughly 20 different web sites was breached and used to send SPAM. While there was no real damage done, the thousands of bounced messages literally caused the server to shut down. There was no personal information stored on the server, however, the hours spent setting up a new server in the midst of a speaking tour created chaos which we really didn’t have the time to deal with. However, the worst of it is all over, and we’re back! Just as we’re getting ready to launch another website (https://worthy.bible) for the Kingdom … we get attacked from all sides!