Clean Hands and a Pure Heart
Scripture Reading: Psalm 24
“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully,” Psalm 24:3-4.
Clean Hands and a Pure Heart
Father God, we give you glory and honour. We adore you and proclaim that you are our Lord. There is none like you who created the earth and everything in it. Father, how can such a great God love a sinful people such as we are? We are grateful that you love us forever and that you provide a way for us to come clean before you.
“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods,” Psalm 24:1.
The task of moving, from finding the best location to buying furniture, can be one huge hassle. Yet it is worth it all, once we settle into the new environment. Psalm 24 is urging us to change our environment; to move to a place where fellowship with God is possible. In order to do so, we must have clean hands and a pure heart. Clean hands are not hands that have been washed with soap and water or lathered in antibacterial lotions. Here, the reference to clean hands means being spiritually clean, having a pure conscience.
“He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah,” Psalm 24:5–10.
Is there something that prevents you from holding your head high? What is the sin that causes you to avoid people? Pray today in the name of Jesus for deliverance from that sin: the sin that has made your mind dirty and your heart impure. Soak your hands in the cleansing blood of Jesus right now. His righteous blood will declare you innocent if you believe. Come forth with clean hands because your conscience will not condemn you; come forth with a pure heart because your testimony of a pure conscience allows you to confidently look every person in the eye. Without clean hands and a pure heart, you cannot ascend to the holy hill of God; you cannot be promoted to experience fellowship with Him. Psalm 75: 6–7 says that promotion does not come from the east, nor from the west; nor the south; that as the Judge, God will put some down and set others up.
God has the authority to promote and demand purity because He is the Founder of the earth. At the beginning of time, He was the one who told the seas to recede and established the solid ground that we walk on. He established you, giving you a firm place on which to stand despite the floods that overwhelm your life. Give Him praise.
Prayer Points:
If you desire clean hands and a pure heart, give your life to Jesus. Confess your sins and forsake them. Pray with me, “Lord Jesus Christ, I accept you as my personal Lord and Saviour. Purify my heart. Renew my mind with your Word. I wash my hands in the blood of Jesus.”
Father God, we thank you because you are the King of glory. We thank you because the heads of the gates will be lifted up and the King of glory will come in. O Lord of hosts, come into our lives, our cities, our nations. Deliver us from vanity that causes us to swear deceitfully. Bless us with clean hands and a pure heart, and give us the grace to receive your blessings. Give us the grace to be part of the generation that seeks you, Lord. Cause those who seek you, to find you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
