May 13, 2023 -- Psalm 24 -- No wonder we call Him the King of Glory!

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A Psalm of David.

24 The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof,
    the world and those who dwell therein,
2 for he has founded it upon the seas
    and established it upon the rivers.

3 Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
    And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not lift up his soul to what is false
    and does not swear deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from the LORD
    and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
    who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah

7 Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
    The LORD, strong and mighty,
    the LORD, mighty in battle!
9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And lift them up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
    The LORD of hosts,
    he is the King of glory! Selah

Psalm 24 ESV

“Am I good enough?” That was the question posed to me by a man who really wanted to know. More than that, he really wanted to be good enough before God. He’d become interested in Christianity, started to attend my Bible Studies which I lead in prison, but now he was hesitant to keep attending. So he asked if we could talk, one on one. My answer “No, you are not good enough. And I am not good enough. We are sinners.”

The corners of his mouth drooped in a frown. His eyebrows furrowed as he squeezed them in concentration. Psalm 24 answers this question for us. No one has clean hands and a pure heart. No one should expect the blessing of the righteous to be poured out on him…except Jesus Christ. He is the King of Glory! He is the One, strong and mighty, Who faced the Devil, head on, and did not waiver in His love for the Father and dedicated obedience to all His commands. This is why Psalm 24, a psalm of praise at Jesus’ ascension into heaven. He is powerful and magnificent. The Jesus, the King of Glory has conquered in battle. Even when nailed to the cross, Jesus prayed that the very people crucifying Him should be forgiven.

Do you know the full-extent of your wickedness? Do you understand how soiled are your hands in doing evil? Do you realize how many lies you have told yourself? How many lies have you told others? Even if, from this second onwards you could be utterly perfect in every way, what could wash away the heaps, hills, and mountains of sins you have committed before this very moment? So your from-now-on righteousness would not be enough. It is folly right from the start.

Only the King of Glory! Jesus He has been strong and mighty, from the second of conception to His last breath, giving to God all the dedicated obedience to His Father. This Psalm makes our hearts sing because His righteousness, His perfect obedience is credited to us. No wonder then that we celebrate Jesus’ victory! When we read in the Psalm that He entered heaven our hearts soar within us because by His victory, we have been credited with His righteousness. O Spirit of God, help me to sing, praise, honour and bless Jesus, the King of Glory!

O LORD,
I hang on thee; 
I see, believe, live, when thy will, not mine, is done;
I can plead nothing in myself in regard of any worthiness
and grace, in regard of thy providence and promises,
but only thy good pleasure.
If thy mercy make me poor and vile, blessed be thou!
Prayers arising from my needs are preparations for future mercies;
Help me to honour thee by believing before I feel,
for great is the sin if I make feeling a cause of faith.
Show me what sins hide thee from me and eclipse thy love;
Help me to humble myself for past evils,
to be resolved to walk with more care,
For if I do not walk holily before thee,
how can I be assured of my salvation?
It is the meek and humble who are shown thy covenant,
know thy will, are pardoned and healed,
who by faith depend and rest upon grace,
who are sanctified and quickened, who evidence thy love.
Help me to pray in faith and so find thy will,
by leaning hard on thy rich free mercy,
by believing thou wilt give what thou hast promised;
Strengthen me to pray with the conviction that whatever I receive is thy gift,
so that I may pray until prayer be granted;
Teach me to believe that all degrees of mercy
arise from several degrees of prayer,
that when faith is begun it is imperfect and must grow,
as chapped ground opens wider and wider until rain comes.
So shall I wait thy will, pray for it to be done,
and by thy grace become fully obedient.
"The Divine Will" Valley of Vision: Puritan Prayers and Devotions

https://youtu.be/8tzIxPjz7TE The King of Glory Comes

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