Pureness of Heart
(KJV) Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof;
the world, and they that dwell therein.
2 For he hath founded it upon the seas,
and established it upon the floods.
3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD?
or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart;
who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity,
nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD,
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Often when I read this psalm I focus on God’s sovereignty. After all, when you start with a declaration that “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it” where else would you go? But today I wanted to talk briefly about the way David believed we should approach God.
David says we should have clean hands and a pure heart in approaching God. All Christ followers should strive for righteousness, which is right standing with God. We are not born righteous. I think of it as putting on the coat of righteousness—at first the coat may be a little oversized, but the longer we follow Jesus, the better the coat fits.
But it is important to understand that there are many times when we are not righteous, but instead we are broken, seemingly beyond repair. Yet God, the great Architect, is able to put us back together because God takes us where He finds us, but He does not leave us there.
May we seek out and indeed strive to put on God’s righteousness every day, and may we know, believe and understand that it is by approaching God that our brokenness can be exchanged for righteousness.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Seeking Holiness 