January 4, 2020

It’s the Weekend! Time for relaxing and cleaning up after the holidays or more football or movies or for me, Saturday is a work day this weekend. Oh well… I need to be cleaning house and finish packing away the holiday..maybe next week. When I do that, I love to play an old movie I’ve seen a dozen times or so. I do so love John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Fred and Ginger and Elizabeth Taylor. Oh how glamorous was Liz! Remember when she came to Rome through those massive gates as Cleopatra? 


I always think of that grand entrance when I read these verses in Psalms 24. Open up the gates! I imagine those sealed Eastern Gates of Jerusalem opened wide and the King of Kings putting Cleopatra’s entry to shame! What a grand entry for sure. 


“Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, invincible in battle. Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of Heaven’s Armies— he is the King of glory.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭24:7-10‬ ‭NLT‬‬


The Lord of the Angel Armies! What an amazing description, right? But do you think maybe David may have been speaking of the gates of our hearts? The verses just before this seem to indicate a more personal walk with God—something maybe we are doing rather than watching. 


“Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior. Such people may seek you and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob”. ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭24:3-6‬ ‭NLT‬‬


God of Jacob, help us to make sure our gates are open for you! We want you to always have an entry into our hearts and minds and lives. Teach us to keep our hearts and hand pure because we want to receive your blessing and have that right relationship with you. How glorious it is to walk with you each day. We worship you and our desire is to draw ever closer to you in this new year. We praise you and open wide the gates! Amen and amen. 


Love you dear one,

Pam



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

January 17, 2020

Happy Friday. It’s the end of another week and we have had more opportunities to share the love of Christ with those around us and sometimes that takes quite a bit of effort. I don’t know about you, but I’m not always anxious to embrace others and really listen to them or share with them (especially those who I don’t know well). Sometimes, I just look at them and think “Are you for real?” I don’t always agree with people over politics, sports or of course, religion. And let’s face it, we’d rather spend time with people we like and mostly agree.  And then I read my Bible. God hasn’t called us to sit in our little groups with only those we naturally gravitate towards, but to love people—all people, even those who aren’t necessarily loveable. In this passage, Paul writing to the people of Colosse remarks on how wonderful it is that they truly love others. That love must have really been something over and above the normal and he tells them that it is evident that it comes from the Holy Sp
Read more

January 15, 2020

Happy Wednesday to you. I hope your week is going well. Yesterday, I went to Sams. I was out of things like trash bags, toilet paper, and chicken, so off I went. I like going to Sams because there is always lots to look at and the isles are nice and wide. Everytime I’m there, I am amazed at how much stuff and everything from diapers to TVs to mangos to beds. It just seems incredible that so many things in such quantities are all under one roof.  King David never saw a store with as much stuff aa Sams of course, but he did see countless miracles and understand that God has plans. He knew from creation and history that he was serving a God of miracles and he know that God loved him and his people and would take care of them. He was amazed and awe-struck by the fact that a God who had done such great and mighty things not only cared about his people but that He loved them with such a great love.  “Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can co
Read more

January 9, 2020

It’s Thursday and I woke up to the blowing wind! Lots of it—I’m dreading Boomer waking up and having to go outside with him. That harsh, bitter wind seems cruel and almost evil. But I’ll wrap myself up with a fe layers and boots and brave it all.  Sometimes I think we try to do that with things we know aren’t right—things that are evil. We try to wrap ourselves up and just wade into it, but Paul tells us we should reject it—stay away from it. “Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:20-24‬ NIV When he wrote this he’d been in Berea and the Christians there diligently searched the scriptures to make sure everything Paul said was in line. Paul here is encouraging the Thessalonians to
Read more