As 2026 kicks into full swing, my prayer is that you are encouraged by God’s Word and motivated to dig in for yourself each day. Over the past two days, we focused on new things God wants to do in our lives and the joy that comes when Christ fills our lives. We spend our third (and final) day meditating on these truths:

⁴ Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
⁵ For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.
~Psalm 100:4-5

Oh my friends, to enter His gates with thanksgiving and praise is such a blessed privilege that we share as children of God! Developing a habit of praising the Lord will pay handsome dividends, and understanding His mercy in the midst of good and bad times brings peace. Make it your mission this year to praise God!

⁸ Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
    Let the whole world know what he has done.
⁹ Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
    Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
¹⁰ Exult in his holy name;
    rejoice, you who worship the Lord.
¹¹ Search for the Lord and for his strength;
    continually seek him.
~1 Chronicles 16:8-11

Not only is praising God a privilege, but our thanks to Him proclaims His greatness! The world needs to know of His greatness and we have the message! Sing praises to Him, exult Him, search for Him and seek Him continually!

What difference would it make if we incorporate the things we have meditated upon these three days?

• God desires to do new things in our lives and exhorts us to follow Him.
• Those new things shine as a testimony to all around us.
• When Christ fills our lives, we are never the same.
• The richness of Christ in and through us impacts those around us. We must carry the message.
• Giving thanksgiving and praise to the Lord exults Him and encourages us.
• The world needs to know the greatness of God, so let’s share it!

This year, throw off the chains that prevent you from intimacy with God. Entrust yourself to Him, invite Him to do new things, and give Him glory through thanksgiving and praise!