Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16. 

Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Ephesians 5:14. 

This morning in our early morning prayer group, we did a Visio Divina where we looked at 2 pictures and shared what those pictures spoke to us. As is usual, as we continued to share together, we found ourselves enriched by what others saw. We were able to marvel at how each one of us saw meaning in different ways. Seeing through others eyes and hearts expands our own. And so it is as I share what I learn in Scripture, in Spiritual Practices, in private study and in questions. What I read in Scripture and gain from it will be as different from others as there are people who read it. The amazing thing is…though each person – by the trillions of trillions – gains personal understanding unique to their own life experiences…our Sovereign Lord knows each heart and how we are made and why we think and feel as we do. He knows us intimately. He understands each of us and so much more. When we truly grasp that God is Sovereign, it helps us trust His will that is for our good always. 

In our chapter, Psalm 24, David first writes acknowledging the Sovereignty of our Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. v. 1, 2. And then I read…Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. v. 7, 9. David goes on to ask, Who is the King of glory? The Lord Almighty – he is the King of glory. v. 8, 10. That was David’s question. Mine? What are the gates…the ancient doors? God is the Ancient of Days who created all that is, so what are these ancient doors?  

Yesterday in Bible Study with other women, we watched a video and then discussed the Bible Study book, Stuck study. The places we get stuck & the God who sets us free, by Jennie Allen. We watched an amazing 10 minute video as she sat beside the seashore with the sound and movement of the waves, the seagulls soaring in the sky. She challenged us to look at what keeps us stuck from being close to God because all of those things, whatever they are, are part of our brokenness that God already knows. He knows. We don’t have to be afraid to give Him our true selves, selves we may not even know about in our confusion and fear. Reading our chapter today and questioning what are those ancient doors makes me think of doors within myself closing me in to a less than authentic and true relationship with our Sovereign and Loving God. To truly know myself – I need to know my God. I am safe in Him. Who is this King of Glory? Our Creator God who Loves. Bring down the ancient, rusted, used doors and help us to take Your hand, Lord, and rejoice with You. We are found. We are loved. We are healed. We are lost no more.