Standing at a height, say in a mountain area, the breeze brushing across your face, gently buffeting your hair, and with misty clouds dampening your cheeks, you lift up your head and eyes to the majestic mountain. This not in worship of the created but in appreciation of the Creator.
Our creator God created such loveliness for His pleasure but He shares it with us. It is to Him we raise our eyes beyond the scene. It is to Him, we lift up our faces, souls and spirits.
The imaginery I relate to best when reading Psalm 24 is of a big city of ancient times where they were protected by walls and large fortified gates. It is these gates I picutre to be opened in grand fanfare, for the Lord of glory to come in with all pomp and glory.
It would be like a king returning from a hunt or a victorious war, "Open the gate, King David, has returned!" The gate keepers swiftly open, welcoming him. The citizens line the streets in glad euphoric welcome and greeting.
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey, there was similar vibe. This is letting the king of glory in, in the physical sense. But what about the spiritual sense? Yes, brothers and sisters-in-Christ, accepting Jesus as Savior allowed the King in. However, the psalmist answered his own question, "Who is this king of glory?" His answer was,
"The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle" (Psalm 24:8 ESV).
LORD, signifies God and Master. All others are servants. We may have let our Savior Jesus in through the gates of our hearts but have we allowed the LORD to open all the doors of our hearts? Have we allowed HIM to actually be Lord and Master?
Flipping back to verse 4, David said those who have clean hands and a pure heart and
"Who does not lift up his soul to what is false"
as the ones who ascend the hill of the LORD and stand in His holy place. These among other wonderful benefits.
Look at that again. Does it convict? It does me. What do you lift up your soul to? Please, not to falseness. If our doors and gates are opening to false things, we can repent and seek the Lord's forgiveness. Then let Him be Lord of your life.
If you are standing on a mountain of falseness and those false breezes and mists you cherish, cherish you, repent. Close those doors and gates. Then there will be room for the King of Glory to come in. There will be, room for you to invite the Lord of glory to come in. There will be jubilant gladness. There will be the clean hands and pure heart, blessing and
"righteousness from the God of his salvation. "
Lift up your heads and face to Him.
Search and examine your hearts this Lord's Day. Yes, Jesus has made us worthy to remember Him in His death and resurrection by partaking of the symbols of broken bread and drinking of the cup of wine. Yet, we still need to be responsible for our thoughts, actions and behavior. There is blessing in repentance from the false and renewal of the true and allowing His righteousness to characterize us. Lift up your heads to HIM.
Open the gates and doors of your heart to Him. Let His Spirit entrance. Seek His face.
It may be that the generation or two before you began to seek the Lord and to open their gates and doors to the Lord. Or it may have only begun in your generation, with you. It doesn't matter because each one still can be that one to make Jesus, not only Savior but also the Lord of their life.
Seek the face of God, allow the Lord of hosts, the King of glory to come in. Open the gates and doors.
Blessed Jesus, thank You for being our Savior and willing to be our Lord. May we indeed lift up our heads and hearts to you and truly make you our Lord, as well. May we joyfully shout,
"Open the gates and doors! The King of glory's coming in!"
~ ERC February 2025 ~
Based on Psalm 24 ESV.
Sing, Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates (Truro), along with, First Plymouth Church, Lincoln Nebraska.
Photo taken from my own church bulletin.
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