When David asks, “Who may ascend the hill of the LORD?” (Psalm 24:3), it is as if he is asking, “Who among you can summit Mount Kilimanjaro in your pajamas?” Without a doubt, David is asking a rhetorical question to his audience. It is obvious that none of us can ascend the hill of the LORD, because none of us possess the righteousness necessary to be in God’s presence. It is as if God lives on a mountain and none of us have the climbing gear necessary to safely ascend that mountain.
David’s question and qualifications of being able to ascend the mountain of the Lord are meant to isolate and exhaust the reader’s pride. No matter how good you are, no matter how obedient you are, you CANNOT climb God’s mountain based on works righteousness. Psalm 24 points forward to Christ as our means of righteousness. Jesus alone could ascend the hill of the LORD, and He did just this on Calvary. It is through the blood of Jesus Christ that we are able to ascend the hill of the Lord and stand in his holy place.
Today, let us invite the Holy Spirit to convict us in every space where pride has become comfortable. Wherever there is fear, entitlement, prayerlessness, people-pleasing and rebellion, pride will be present. Yet there is hope for the prideful heart in the incarnation of humility, Jesus Christ. Immanuel—God with us—condescended to live among us, die for us, and raise us to new life. He never had a shred of sinful pride—no fear, no entitlement, no ingratitude, no people-pleasing, no prayerlessness, no hypocrisy, no rebellion.
Philippians 2:4-11 ESV
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus, the divine God-man, emptied himself of all he deserved to save us from all we deserve. He who was entitled to the highest honor forfeited it for our eternal good, who wouldn't serve a God like that?
Because of Jesus' humility, we can be forgiven of our pride. That’s both the sting and the joy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It deals with our pride by destroying it, reminding us that life is not about us, and that we deserve only the wrath of God. Jesus also deals with our pride by taking the just punishment for it on himself, that we might be renewed in the image of our Creator (Colossians 3:5-10) and made humble like our Savior.
Colossians 3:5-10 ESV
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
Here is a quick prayer you can repeat:
Heavenly Father, please fill me with Your Holy Spirit where pride was. Fill every part of me with Yourself and Your sweet Spirit, Lord. Make me humble. Teach me to be humble like You, Jesus, are humble. Teach me to be meek and submissive to You in everything. Let this mind be in me which was also in Christ Jesus. Help me to humble myself under Your mighty hand; and, in due time, You will exalt me. In Jesus name.
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The Hey Sis Podcast is a space for women, from all walks of life, to reflect upon their life experiences.
Dr. Dee Evans brings humor and spiritual insight to conversations love, spirituality, theology, pop culture and everything in between.
The Awe and Wonder Audio Bible Study focuses on the exposition of scripture surrounding a space of contemplation and reverence for the works of Yahweh. Each Bible study lesson is approximately 20 minutes and focuses on a singular topic that should lead each listener to be inspire with awe.
Awe (noun) - a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder.
Wonder (noun) - a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar or inexplicable.
Dr. Dee Evans
Founder, Dee Evans Ministries International, Inc
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