Psalm 24

Ask God to reveal himself to you through this time of reflection and worship. Read Psalm 24 and note anything new about the Lord that is revealed to you.

Psalm 24:3-10 - Of David. A psalm.
Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
    Who may stand in his holy place?
The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not trust in an idol
    or swear by a false god.
They will receive blessing from the Lord
    and vindication from God their Savior.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
    who seek your face, God of Jacob.
Lift up your heads, you gates;
    be lifted up, you ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord strong and mighty,
    the Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, you gates;
    lift them up, you ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
Who is he, this King of glory?
    The Lord Almighty—
    he is the King of glory.

Have you ever had a houseguest stay for an extended period of time? When someone stays
over, their presence changes the normal rhythms and dynamics of your household. Depending
on the kind of houseguest this person is can bring either positive or negative changes. One thing is for certain -- your home-life as you know it is no longer the same.
Psalm 24 is a song of victory and a wonderful reminder of who our Lord is and what happens
when He is invited into our lives; not just for a short stay but for eternity! This psalm was used
for celebration as the ark of the covenant was being brought into its prepared place. However,
we can apply these words now to Christ’s ascension (during His time on earth) into heaven and
the welcome he received there! We can also apply these words to when we welcome Christ to
be Lord of our lives. His presence is what sanctifies us to be more like Him. This is what He
does as our Savior and Redeemer!
In verses 3 and 4, we see that only those with clean hands and a pure heart can ascend the
mountain of the Lord and stand in His Holy place. That is not possible without Jesus; we can
never be good enough to save ourselves. We need to accept His gift of salvation and allow Him
to clean our hands and purify our hearts; His death on the cross covers our sin. Once we place
our faith in Christ, we still need to make a regular habit of allowing Him to examine our hearts and confessing our sin to our gracious heavenly Father. We need God’s power and help to
overcome sin that holds us back.
Victory to overcome sin, shame, and the enemy is only possible in the Lord. He is the King of
Glory who is strong and mighty! Put your hope in Jesus and surrender to His mighty power.
Have confidence in the Lord and make room for Him to speak to you today.

Prayer Focus:
Let my words, echo your hearts cry: “Lord, you are awesome and marvelous and wonderful! You reign! Forgive me for times when I have trusted the idols of this world and when sin has stained my hands and my heart. Thank you, Jesus, for bearing my sin on the cross and for making me clean and pure through your sacrifice! This is my true identity in You! Show me how to worship You for the Almighty King that You are. Help me remember that the battle belongs to You and that You have won the victory. Amen.”

Action Steps:

1. Set aside time today for confession. Ask God to examine your heart and help you to see any and everything in you that is not clean and pure. Ask Him to reveal your next steps in following Him. Confess these things to God and ask for His help and power to turn away from these things.
2. Take a walk today and ask God to show you reminders of His presence as you go. Are there reminders on your walk that you can worship God for? Write them down.
3. Worship the Lord Jesus today with “Who is Like the Lord”