Last week brought us officially into the Advent season with the reading of Psalm 24. My Grampa Spano loved this psalm and in particular verses 3-4. I can well remember him teaching me, as a little girl, to keep my heart clean and to be truthful.
It is to this person – the one who comes humbly and right before God – whom God will bless.
Only as we get a vision of God – beholding His sovereignty, His holiness, and His glory – will we give Him the worship He is due. My commentary gives this food for thought:
“True worship is an all-consuming desire to give ourselves to God, wielding all that we are to all that he is …
Psalm 24 is a hymn of praise that directs the hearts of his people to worship God in a manner that recognizes his glory.”
(from The Holman Old Testament Commentary, Vol. 11, page 133)
Let’s begin to set our hearts to seek Him this Advent season, to truly see Him each day by asking ourselves: What can we do to not miss Him each day as we move towards His arrival on Christmas Day?
~*~*~
Psalm 130 brought much goodness to think on. Our hearts should be filled with gratitude for the Lord has not kept a record of our sins! As we remember we are forgiven, may we never forget nor lose sight of the price He paid. Even when our actions grieve His heart, He uses my sin to teach us to walk in His ways, to obey and fear Him.
The psalmist reminds us:
- God’s redemption OVERFLOWS (verse 7, NLT).
- He redeems us from EVERY kind of sin (verse 8, NLT).
The psalmist also reminds us it is in His Word we can place our hope. We can rely and rest on the Word of God, and this is where we find our comfort.
~*~*~
We closed the week with Psalm 15, where the psalmist asks two questions:
- “Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?”
- “Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?”
It is only because of Christ’s coming to earth, and sacrificing His life, that we are able to approach God.
“Holiness is not something to be received in a meeting; it is life to be lived in detail.” (D. Martin Lloyd-Jones)
Today may we make time to not only quietly reflect, examine our lives, but also praise Him for providing us a way to live in holiness.
“Such people will stand firm forever” (verse 5b, NLT)
~*~*~
Blessing is received
as we wait on Him,Â
with a heart of repentance and worship.
Today I am joining …
