Religiosity

Lift up your heads, O ye gates! And be lifted up, you 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! Lift up, you 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. These verses are the 2nd part of a song written by David. The picture is that the congregation awaits inside for God. God approaches and the gates open for Him. The question is asked Who is this? God answers and the people realize this is Yahweh--THE God. This reminds me of Jesus standing at the door and knocking and wanting to come into our hearts. God answers that He is the strong and mighty Lord and that He is strong in battle. This is reassurance that He is there for us always. All we have to do is open that door.

The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters. Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart who has not lifted up his sould to an idol nor sworn deceitfully, He shall receive blessing from the Lord. And righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face. It is believed that these verses are a song that was written as David was bringing the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem. Later in the New Testament, Paul quotes these same words. This passage states that everything is under the control of God. It takes it back to creation onward. There are only the righteous who will be allowed to go into Holy Places with the Lord. These are those with clean hands and a pure heart; those with ethics and integrity. Living a good life has its rewards,...

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runneth over . Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord. Forever. The comfort from the Lord spoke of in this chapter is the comfort of a friend who feels empathy for what you are going through. They put themselves in your place. It was tradition to anoint with oil and this was to show that one was honored to have someone in their home. To be welcome and accepted no matter what. God was provided protection for David even among those that David is not sure he can trust. The words 'my cup runneth over' is talking about emotions that cannot be kept inside. David is trusting in God and knows that he will be with the Lord forever no matter the outcome of his trials. He is certain of the goodness and mercy of God. Mercy is that unfailing steadfast love God has for His people. It is the promise from God to be with us always...

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death , I will fear no evil; For you are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. This is psalm of David. David is reaffirming God in his life. God/Jesus is the shepherd that eventually gave His life for the sheep. Jesus went that further step for His people. God allows us a time to rest and be still with Him. The restoring of our energy and our faith is what keeps the flock going. This is a human need but God saw to it that our needs were met. David was always in fear of his life. People also walk in that 'valley of the shadow of death'. It is always there--the unknown. David puts his faith in God that no evil will touch him because God is watching over him. The restoring of my soul. This is what I need ...