Focus
Experience silence in the midst of your busy day. Take some time to relax into a time to be with God.
Read
Psalm 24:3-4 (NRSV)
Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,
who do not lift up their souls to what is false,
and do not swear deceitfully.
Reflect
I know that I do not have a pure, undivided heart. I know that my hands are not clean, that my soul sometimes cleaves to what is false. I also might lie to shift the blame elsewhere, polish my image, or get what I want from someone.
Does this make me unfit for the sanctuary? Yes, it does. I cannot stand on the merits of my personal integrity and demand entry into God’s holy space. I am not worthy in and of myself to come close to God. Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? Not me, not on my own.
Fortunately, Jesus offers his merit where mine is lacking. Jesus’s hands were clean, guilty of no thievery or abuse. Jesus’s heart was pure, undivided in its loyalty to God. Jesus told truth, and did not use his precious words for anything other than mercy and justice. God’s goodness overflowed in him. Through faith in him, his merit stands for ours, and we sinners are able to approach God without fear, without feeling like we have intruded somewhere we don’t belong.
Who shall ascend to the hill of the Lord and stand in his holy place? Through the undeserved love of God and the freely shared merits of Jesus Christ, we will.
Thanks be to God.
Pray
Holy God, thank you for loving us in spite of our unclean hands and corrupt hearts. Amen.
Go with God.
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