God’s Hope for Your Heart from Psalm 24

JESUS BRINGS YOU CLOSE TO GOD

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.  (Psalm 24:3-4)

Do you ever feel far away from God?

Maybe you’ve done something you’re not proud of.  Maybe you’ve done something right, but with motives that make you ashamed.  Maybe you’ve tried to do the right thing or have the right attitude, but you keep slipping and tripping over your own attempts.

Clean hands and a pure heart?  You’re grateful to just avoid catastrophe.

The reality is that in your own strength, you can never truly have clean hands–right actions–and a pure heart–Godly attitudes–all of the time.  If it were all up to you, then you would never be able to draw close to God, to stand before Him with confidence and peace.

But Jesus changes everything.

If you’re in Christ, then His perfectly clean hands and totally pure heart have been accounted to you!  That means that when God the Father checks the entrance requirements of those who would draw near to Him, He doesn’t see you as a failure, but as family.  He doesn’t see you as imperfect, but as immaculately clean because of the blood of Jesus shed for you.

You may feel like what you’ve done and desired have pushed you away from God, but if you’re in Christ, here’s good news: restoration is waiting for you, and all you have to do is receive it.

Friend, don’t let the enemy load you down with guilt and shame for your human lack of perfection.  Instead, let the Holy Spirit remind you of your divine destiny as a child of God.  Rest in this, and come back home to fellowship with your Heavenly Father.  As you do, let your hope be found in this life-changing truth: Jesus brings you close to God.

-Pastor Phillip

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