Voice: Noppadon
Today is Thursday, 21st of May. Take a moment to be still in His presence.
We pray:
Blessed are you, creator of all,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As your dawn renews the face of the earth
bringing light and life to all creation,
may we rejoice in this day you have made;
as we wake refreshed from the depths of sleep,
open our eyes to behold your presence
and strengthen our hands to do your will,
that the world may rejoice and give you praise.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen
Psalm 24:
The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,
2 for he has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from the Lord
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
7 Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle!
9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory! Selah
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.
Reflection on Psalm 24
According to the Genesis account of creation, the Spirit hovered over the waters of the deep, bringing order out of chaos—establishing land, rivers, and all that is required for life to flourish.
Much of creation may have happened in an instant. Yet, in another sense, creation is still unfolding. Recently, we visited Fingal’s Cave on the island of Staffa, off the western coast of Scotland.
This remarkable sea cave, with its striking hexagonal basalt columns, was formed over millions of years. The relentless forces of water, volcanic fire, and tectonic movement have shaped it into what we see today. It is a place of beauty—but also of patient formation.
The ancient psalmists, too, looked upon plains, hills, and mountains. The high places were often regarded as holy—places where heaven and earth seemed to meet. Mount Sinai is one such example.
So the question arises:
“Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in His holy place?”
The answer is given in Psalm 24:4:
“He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.”
It is the person whose heart is pure before God.
His hands—his deeds—are clean and untainted.
He relates truthfully with others, free from hidden agendas or divided loyalties.
Such a person loves God and neighbour. This is the summary of the law, which Anglicans recite in the Communion liturgy, echoing the teaching of Christ in Matthew 22:37–40:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…
And… You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”
We give thanks, then, for the gift of new life in Christ. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares:
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Yet this new creation is not the end of the journey—it is the beginning. Just as the first creation was established so that life could grow and flourish, so too our spiritual life is given that transformation may take place.
And that transformation is often gradual.
Like the stones at Staffa, shaped by the ceaseless pounding of the sea, so our hearts are formed by the steady work of God’s Word:
Shaping.
Chiselling.
Smoothing.
Therefore, open your heart to the Lord each day—that the King of glory may come in.
For as 2 Corinthians 3:18 reminds us:
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another…”
And so, we pray the Prayer of St. Ambrose of Milan, (339-397)
O Lord, who hast mercy upon all,
take away from me my sins,
and mercifully kindle in me the fire of thy Holy Spirit.
Take away from me the heart of stone,
and give me a heart of flesh,
a heart to love and adore thee,
a heart to delight in thee,
to follow and to enjoy thee,
for Christ’s sake. Amen.
Be blessed by this song, How can I keep from Singing, by Audrey Assad
My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth’s lamentation,
I catch the sweet†, tho’ far-off hymn
That hails a new creation;
Thro’ all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul—
How can I keep from singing?
What tho’ my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Saviour liveth;
What tho’ the darkness gather round?
Songs in the night he giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth,
How can I keep from singing?
I lift my eyes; the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smooths,
Since first I learned to love it,
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
A fountain ever springing;
All things are mine since I am his—
How can I keep from singing?
How Can I Keep from Singing · Audrey Assad Inheritance ℗ 2016 Fortunate Fall Records
Daily Devotion 
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