Reflections
Psalm 24: 7, 8, 9, 10 (Read)
“Lift up, O gates, reach up,
that the king of glory may come in!”
Scripture tells us that even the heavens
cannot contain Him, yet our Lord is
content to build a house within our
hearts. Our own bodies become temples
of the Lord, and we must throw open
the gates of our hearts and let Him enter.
He is the king of glory!
The psalm celebrates Christ's ascension into
the holy city of Jerusalem, and reminds us
that He is 'mighty in battle,' able to defeat
whatever dark forces are present within us.
We herald His coming, our gates our lifted,
'that the king of glory may come in.' He is
'strong and mighty' and will protect us from
all our enemies, external and internal.
The psalm reminds us we are to prepare
to receive our Lord. We must be clean of
hand and pure of heart; we must 'reach up
our portals' to a higher level if we are truly
to become a temple of God.
The Psalm is guiding us to prepare ourselves
from within, so that we are made ready to
receive Him when He comes. Our psalmist
tells us that those who love the Lord and those
who seek God's face will receive Him. Just as
Jesus is consecrated to the Lord in this Sunday's
Gospel, just so must we be consecrated before
we can receive Jesus in our hearts. When we are
ready, we can join with the psalmist and say
confidently, 'It is the Lord!'
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm twice urges us to lift up our gates
that the king of glory may come in. What are you
doing to prepare a place for the Lord in your heart?
2. Our Lord will build a house within our hearts if we
allow Him to do so. Once your body becomes a temple
of the Lord, how will this change your behavior?
ReplyDeleteEven a poorly designed plan is better than no plan. Think about it. The more important the earthly project, the more expertise, time, and money that goes into it.
And here we're talking about preparing a place for the Lord Himself. I think we all know the answer.
Temple gates. Swinging open. A symbol of the people's desire to have God's presence among them. The visual image is powerful. God gives us the choice to open up those "gates" which guard our hearts. As we choose to do so, we receive strength to do His will. We also receive more discernment regarding where sin lurks in our lives. Without this gift of knowing, we might continue to live in ways that do not please the Lord.
ReplyDeleteI am reminded of 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, which says "Do you not know that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body." Such Biblical reminders jolt me into action. I can make better choices about how I treat my body, both physically and spiritually. Physically, this is a guide to eat nutritiously and get rest and exercise as needed. Spiritually, this is a responsibility to fill my heart with Godly thoughts. I do not need to pollute my mind and heart with TV programs, movies, songs, etc. that do not build me up, but rather create angst and unrealistic expectations. I thank God for loving me enough to want to reside in me.