Psalm 24
July 11, 2021
Oh Lord,
This is all yours. The majestic mountains, the sparkling seas, our squirmy children, our homes, the ground we walk on. The earth is yours and everything in it. We are yours. We give you glory and honor, Lord, for you are worthy of ALL the glory and all honor.
Father, who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? Lord Jesus, we confess that this morning we do not come to you on our own with clean hands and a pure heart. We have sinned this week in thought, word, and deed. We have failed to perfectly honor you this morning in all our thoughts, in all our words, and in our desires. You are perfectly holy and we are unrighteous. Forgive us, Lord Jesus.
And because we are forgiven, you impart to us, Jesus’ righteousness. So, Father, we thank you that we may ascend the mountain of the Lord, we may stand in his holy place, because you have given us clean hands and a pure heart. David tells us that we will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God our Savior. What a gift, Lord Jesus. We are humbled that you are so gracious and so good to us.
We ask that as we receive this blessing from you, that we would be a generation, a Church, that seeks you, that seeks your face, O God of Jacob. Keep your face before us, from when we rise until we lay down. Open our hearts and eyes to see you all around us and open the doors of communication that we may speak with you throughout our day. We ask for this blessing upon our future Pastor and his family, as well.
David goes on in this powerful Psalm, “Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.” God, we see the gates rising, the ancient doors lifting up and as Spurgeon puts it, we see, “the glorious ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, and his triumphal entrance within the pearly gates of the New Jerusalem.” And the King of Glory, the Lord strong and mighty, mighty in battle is welcomed into the New Jerusalem, but not only that, we must open our gates, that He may be our salvation and the King of our lives. Oh, Holy Spirit, what a gift?! We are so undeserving and yet, we can let the King of glory come in. Come in, Lord Jesus, King of glory, strong and mighty.
Lord Almighty, you are the King of Glory.
And all God’s people said,
Amen