Psalm 24:3-4
Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully. New King James Version (NKJV).
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully. New King James Version (NKJV).
As I read today's verses from Psalm 24 I couldn't help but think of the verses from the past few days and the focus, the challenge to contend for the faith, to watch ourselves, to be aware of what is going on around us in the world and in the church, to see how things measure up to the word of God.
Elsewhere in the Psalms our lives are referred to as " a pilgrimage", a journey to our future destination - heaven for those of us who follow Jesus Christ. It is a day by day process of discerning and following what God would have us do. That is the person who would have clean hands and a pure heart. The pure heart is undivided and devoted to God and cleansed of deceit.
The words "sworn deceitfully" at the end of verse 24 also caught my attention. With all of the hearings and investigations we see in the news, people are brought in for sworn testimonies. They give you an idea of what "sworn deceitfully' mean. The words are carefully chosen so that technically they may be telling the truth but the real or whole truth is nowhere to be found. It should not be so with us in our dealings or in our conversations. We should hold to strive to uphold and to testify of the truth of the gospel.
John Piper writes, "God guides us by bringing our hearts and minds into harmony or sympathy with his own heart and mind so that when we study a situation, we discern (you might even say intuit) what path would best accord with the character and purposes of God that we know from Scripture."
As we make our pilgrimage up to the mountain of God in this life, our own pilgrim's progress, may God guide us day by day with our hearts in harmony and sympathy with the heart of God as revealed in the Bible.
Psalm 24:1-6The Message (MSG)
A David Psalm
24 1-2 God claims Earth and everything in it,
God claims World and all who live on it.
He built it on Ocean foundations,
laid it out on River girders.
God claims World and all who live on it.
He built it on Ocean foundations,
laid it out on River girders.
3-4 Who can climb Mount God?
Who can scale the holy north-face?
Only the clean-handed,
only the pure-hearted;
Men who won't cheat,
women who won't seduce.
Who can scale the holy north-face?
Only the clean-handed,
only the pure-hearted;
Men who won't cheat,
women who won't seduce.
5-6 God is at their side;
with God's help they make it.
This, Jacob, is what happens
to God-seekers, God-questers.
with God's help they make it.
This, Jacob, is what happens
to God-seekers, God-questers.
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