Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Daily Devotional Thought--From the Psalms



Today's Psalm from the Treasury of Daily Prayer is Psalm 24:


The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,
for he has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
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.
He will receive blessing from the LORD
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Life up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
The LORD, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory!


On Martin Luther's birthday, we hear what he writes about this Psalm:

The 24th psalm is a prophecy of the coming worldwide kingdom of Christ. It calls on the "doors" of the world, that is, the kings and princes, to make way for the kingdom of Christ. They and those who for the most part rage against Him (Psalm 2) ask, "Who is this King of glory?" as if they were to say, "This beggar! Yes, this heretic! This criminal! Shall he be a king and shall we yield and submit to him? We shall not!" In this way the psalm shows that God's Word will certainly be condemned and persecuted. This psalm belongs to the First Commandment and in both the Third Commandment and the Third Petition.


And so we pray:
Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Prepare a bed, soft, undefiled,
A quiet chamber set apart
For You to dwell within my heart. Amen.

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