Psalm 24:1, 3, 9-10 NIV
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
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.
I've never been to Europe. I've heard from folks who visited some of the magnificent cathedrals over there. These Christian temples of worship have stood for centuries! Entire communities gave all their wealth for the glory of God! Some who built these cathedrals spent their entire lives working on them. Some of the architects died before the work was finished! What love! What a commitment to the Kingdom of Christ!
Imagine yourself walking through the large doors of the cathedral and then entering the spacious sanctuary. The vaulted ceilings tower above you. The stone columns lift toward the heavens. Light streams in through the stained glass windows. Frescoes, paintings, and statues point to the glory of heaven and the God whom we worship.
Psalm 24 speaks of the King of Glory, the maker and owner of the earth and all who live within it! Truly the psalmist is thrilled to celebrate the Creator, the God of Israel! "Who is this King of Glory?" he asks. It is the Lord! In the Hebrew it would say "adonai" in order not to say the actual divine name, which in English we have called Jehovah or Yahweh.
Israel knows their God as mighty, Creator of all things, and glourious beyond measure. How can any temple house this God? And how can anyone stand in His presence? Yet God desires to dwell among His holy people. So the people bid the temple gates to lift up their heads! It would almost be like telling a door in your house to lift its lintel, that piece going over the top of the door frame through which you enter. I think that's a way of saying that the Lord is so grand, so magnanimous, that the gates of the temple must enlarge in order for the Lord to enter!
As you face the many challenges of life, how does the size and the might of your God help you? When you worry about your possessions, or your life, or your loved ones, remember that all you see and all that you are and all you possess belongs to God. Rather than worry, be His good steward. Join the throng who worship the King of Glory.
I've never been to Europe. I've heard from folks who visited some of the magnificent cathedrals over there. These Christian temples of worship have stood for centuries! Entire communities gave all their wealth for the glory of God! Some who built these cathedrals spent their entire lives working on them. Some of the architects died before the work was finished! What love! What a commitment to the Kingdom of Christ!
Imagine yourself walking through the large doors of the cathedral and then entering the spacious sanctuary. The vaulted ceilings tower above you. The stone columns lift toward the heavens. Light streams in through the stained glass windows. Frescoes, paintings, and statues point to the glory of heaven and the God whom we worship.
Psalm 24 speaks of the King of Glory, the maker and owner of the earth and all who live within it! Truly the psalmist is thrilled to celebrate the Creator, the God of Israel! "Who is this King of Glory?" he asks. It is the Lord! In the Hebrew it would say "adonai" in order not to say the actual divine name, which in English we have called Jehovah or Yahweh.
Israel knows their God as mighty, Creator of all things, and glourious beyond measure. How can any temple house this God? And how can anyone stand in His presence? Yet God desires to dwell among His holy people. So the people bid the temple gates to lift up their heads! It would almost be like telling a door in your house to lift its lintel, that piece going over the top of the door frame through which you enter. I think that's a way of saying that the Lord is so grand, so magnanimous, that the gates of the temple must enlarge in order for the Lord to enter!
As you face the many challenges of life, how does the size and the might of your God help you? When you worry about your possessions, or your life, or your loved ones, remember that all you see and all that you are and all you possess belongs to God. Rather than worry, be His good steward. Join the throng who worship the King of Glory.
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