Be Righteous and Think Holy
“Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbor or speak evil of their friends. Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts. Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever.” (Psalm 15, NLT)
Have you ever come in contact with another Christian and thought: Wow, that person spends a LOT of time with Jesus? You know them, people that are practically dripping with the peace and the assuredness that comes with spending a lot of time in His presence. They give awesome advice, because their minds are so deeply rooted in scripture and their very thought process has transformed to be more like Jesus.
No matter what, once you’ve been around someone like that, it makes you want to step your own game up. It makes you hungry for more Jesus in your own life. Which often begs the question: how can I get there? How can I make changes in my day-to-day life that will posture me to remain in a headspace that constantly pushes me toward Jesus?
Everyone feels this way at least once, and David was no exception. The opening of Psalm 15 opens with David saying, “Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?” (verse 1, NLT) In other words, how can I occupy those intimate places of communion with you, Lord? How can I get into those deep and personal places of knowing you and spending time with you?
I’m sure most of us can relate to that predicament. Whether you’re in a dry season or simply trying to supplement your already fruitful relationship with Jesus, one thing is for sure, everyone wants more of the Savior. In this psalm, David offers four verses of solutions to this universal dilemma.
So today, if you are hungry for more Jesus, or if you’re feeling a little dry, try to apply the life-changes found in this psalm and reposition your heart for more of the Lord.
One thing is consistent through these four lifestyle changes: be righteous and think holy. In order to do any of the things David suggests, you have to be righteous and think holy. That means when you’re feeling tempted to do those things that you know you shouldn’t do– gossip, speak evil of your friends, betray a promise, accept a bribe– you allow the Holy Spirit to convict you and don’t act on what satisfies your flesh.
Because the more you put your mind on holiness and the more you act out of the desire to be righteous, the less urges you’ll have to act in a way that distracts you from the presence of the Lord. The more you act righteous and think holy, the easier it will be to honor other Christians and glorify Jesus. Soon enough, the sincerity of your heart will be a living sacrifice that pleases the Lord, and you’ll have no problem stepping into those intimate pockets of Jesus’ presence.
These things– living a blameless life, staying away from gossip, treating others in love, distancing yourself from evil, doing the right thing even when it’s hard or inconvenient– will help you to stand firmly in Jesus’ presence forever.
They’re not easy changes, because they require you to deny your fleshly desires. But those desires will do you no good if the cry of your heart is to be closer to Jesus.
Hey, Pops,
Today, would you convict us of the things that push us farther away from you. Strengthen us and help us to be righteous and think holy. Show us the life-changes we need to make in our lives so that we can find those secret and intimate places of communion with you.
We love you, Lord,
Amen.
