Nougat 1

Remember when Samuel had to go anoint David as King (1 Samuel 16:1-13)? It was such an edge of the seat read. God’s initial response to Samuel comes to mind when I partake of today’s Holy Nougat

“Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭24‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

No one truly qualifies for being in the Holy of Holies. At least, not with the standards listed: purity of hand and hearts, true worship and honesty-integrity. As simple as it sounds, that’s a near impossible task for the normal human being. For, when put to the test, we are guilty of some of these at different times.

Pure hands – not only what we physically do, but what we orchestrate or permit on our watch. Washing our hands literally or symbolically does not absolve us from responsibility. It merely says that the first layer of germs are removed. Hands give and take, caress and slap, open and shut, tend and tear down. All those can be ‘pure’, but when corrupted … oh Lord have mercy!

Whenever we engage in negativity toward another, we run the risk of corrupting our entire being. Remember, we speak out of our heart’s overflow (Matthew 12:34). In the moment we stray, even if we don’t say or act on it, the thought is revealed to God. No, it doesn’t mean we don’t think; rather it’s an invitation to guard our hearts so that it generates more positivity.

Of course, idolatry is not restricted to gods in the literal sense; it includes the things we place value on to the detriment of our souls. Idols are persons, objects, concepts … possessions, family, friends, items and even places. The irony is that we may be active in church, but giving priority to other things instead of God. Our God does not share … let’s get rid of the idols right away.

We lie by what we say and do, as well as what we don’t. For believers, our actions sometimes suggest we are liars about the Faith we profess. And that’s hard for onlookers. What’s worse is when we lie to ourselves. Based on the reflection, we lie to our own selves when we think our righteousness is dependent on us. Nope! We failed long ago.

But God

We qualify to ascend the Hill of the Lord when we allow Jesus Christ full reign. At that moment, God’s Spirit purifies our hearts and hands; reducing our penchant for evil; helps us to focus on God alone, rather than people and possessions; and increases our integrity. So our ascent is then grounded in thanksgiving and Hope, affirming God’s transforming grace and abiding love.

Truly God looks within, and transforms us into the privileged ones who ascend the holy hill upon our request.

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May all we seek be found in Christ