How to Ascend the Mountain of the Lord

God has high standards for those who can come into His presence.  Psalm 24:3-5 says, "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."  Henry Blackaby writes, "There is no easy access to God for those with unclean hands or an impure heart.  It is an affront to our holy God to assume we can indulge in our sin and blatantly disobey His Word, then brazenly enter into the Holy of Holies."  

There are levels of intimacy with God.  When we first become a Christian, we enter into a personal relationship with Him.  We have been forgiven of our sin and given new life in Christ.  However, if we continue in our sinful ways, the relationship weakens and keeps us from enjoying deeper fellowship with Him.  At another level, if we try to avoid sin in our lives (which is a good thing), yet resist communing with God and hearing His voice when He speaks to us, then our relationship with Him will stagnate.  But if we grow to understand His holiness, adjust our lives to His Word, pray and respond to His promptings, then we will find the intimacy with God we so desire.  

It's kind of like this picture Avery took on our family vacation to Colorado.  There are different levels or plateaus which rise higher and higher -- from the ground to the hills to the mountains.  If we want to ascend the mountain and come into the Lord's presence, we must seek to develop clean hands and a pure heart.  This does not mean that we are perfect.  But it does mean that we desire God's holiness in our lives, we try to resist the sin and temptations we face, and we grow in intimacy with Him.  May God help us in our pursuit of His righteousness and our sensitivity and devotion to Him, that we may ascend the mountain of the Lord.

Have a blessed week!

Pastor Darren