OPEN HEAVENS 2023 DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WED, JUN 28, 2023

TOPIC: ENTERING GOD’S PRESENCE 1

MEMORISE:
“Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.” – (Isaiah 26:2)

READ: Psalm 24:3-6 (KJV)

3. Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4. He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
5. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

MESSAGE:
The Bible tells us in Psalm 100:4 that the entrance into God’s presence has a gate. When you see a gate in a place, you know it is there so as to restrict access. Whatever is inside the place must be so valuable that they don’t want any unauthorised person to have access to it. There are many treasures in the presence of God and not just anybody can enjoy them. One of such treasures is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11) and liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17). Anyone who has entered the presence of God will tell you that it is a place that you don’t want to ever come out from. In (2 Corinthians 5:8), Apostle Paul said, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

The first criterion for accessing God’s presence is holiness. God cannot stand sin. If you have any form of sin in your life, the gate into His presence will be shut against you. Psalm 24:3-4 says:

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.

Only those with clean hands and a pure heart can be allowed to ascend into the presence of the Lord. If your hands have been soiled with sin, forget about it. If your heart is not pure, if you habour impure thoughts in that heart, the gate into God’s presence will be shut against you.

Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. – (Psalm 118:19)

The gates into the presence of God are called the gates of righteousness; if you are not righteous, you cannot go through. The One whose presence you want to enter is a holy God; you must be holy before you can get in there. Joseph had to shave and change his clothes before appearing before Pharaoh (Genesis 41:14); how much more when you want to enter the presence of the King of kings.

KEY POINT:
To enter the presence of God, you must be holy.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalms 134-140

HYMNAL:
HYMN 28 – WHAT CAN WASH AWAY MY STAIN?

1. What can wash away my stain?
   Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
   What can make me whole again?
   Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

REFRAIN:
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow!
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

2. For my pardon this I see;
   Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
   For my cleansing this my plea:
   Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
3. Nothing can for sin atone,
   Nothing but the blood of Jesus:
   Naught of good that I have done,
   Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
4. This is all my hope and peace:
   Nothing but the blood of Jesus:
   This is all my righteousness
   Nothing but the blood of Jesus.