Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. – Psalms 24:7 KJV
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Today’s scripture is a continuation of yesterday’s devotion where we reminded ourselves of the ownership of the world and its contents by the Almighty God and the righteous nature of the generation of people who seek the Lord. We started looking at the gates and everlasting doors that will stop the king of glory from coming into such lives and started out considering ignorance as a gate and an everlasting door. We continue today, looking at some other gates and everlasting doors, all in a bid to ensure that all obstacles to glory of God manifesting in the life of the Christian is removed. They are as follows:
1. Arrogance (which is also called Pride) is the act of having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance or abilities and is usually associated with some achievement by the person (Dan. 4:1-37). Having being able to do some things which probably seems to be rare or completely nouvelle, such a person begins to see him/herself, sometimes unconsciously, as not only the sole reason behind that success but with ability to do greater things, all by this same personal ability. Such individual not only loses the glory in reference, but also will not be able to achieve new glory because the king of glory will not come into such life. A Christian must always consciously return all glory to God not just in a mere statement but in actions. It is not about what someone says but about how one acts, just as it is commonly said that action speaks louder than voice – Matt. 5:16. Not to be arrogant is to be humble in all achievements and it remains a golden key that every Christian that desires glory must have, as it is required in opening those gates and doors so, the king of glory can enter.
2. Doubt, which is a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction, remains a major gate and door that every Christian must open for the king of glory to enter. The Bible says a doubtful person will receive nothing from the Lord – Jms. 1:7. To doubt is to lack belief or trust in someone’s or something’s ability. One may be able to get away with distrusting, but not when the distrust is of the Almighty God. Zechariah did not get away with it as he got punished with deafness and dumbness – Lk. 1:20. God considers distrust of His person as dis-honour and such was the case with Moses and He denied him entry into the promised land – Num. 20:2-13. Jesus told Martha that if only she can have faith, which in itself is a level of trust, she will see the glory of God – Jn. 11:40. No matter how long it takes for the Christian to receive that promise, he/she must continue to trust God as that is another golden key to open those gates and ancient doors so that the king of glory can enter.
3. Ingratitude, which is the lack of being thankful or not showing appreciation for received favour, also remains a door and a gate against manifesting the glory of God. Anyone with this character will find it difficult to manifest the glory of God. Gratitude, which is the opposite of ingratitude is manifested in thanks to the benefactor but goes to higher level when the benefactor begins to receive praise from the individual for what he has done. King David identifies that each level of gratitude brings its commensurate reward as thanks opens the Gates of God and Praise opens the doors into His courts – Ps. 100:4. Gratitude was what perfected the healing of the only leper that returned to Jesus – Lk. 17:11-19. This key of gratitude must be possessed by every Christian who desires to access the glory of God.
Although, not exhaustive in any way, the Christian needs to be wary of these personal characteristics that can serve as gates and doors to manifesting the glory of God, even after meeting all the divine and external conditions. It is not sufficient for us to be Christians only as we need to constantly reflect His glory to the unbelievers. We are the book that the world is reading in trying to know who this great and mighty is Jehovah is. We need not look too far in identifying why we are not manifesting His glory even after all our inherited righteousness for being his obedient servants – Is. 54;17. The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans asks the rhetorical question, “if God be for someone, who can be against such?” – Rom. 8:31. There is no doubt that the individual remains the only enemy left. As long as these doors remain shut, the king of glory will not come into that life and so such a life cannot manifest the glory of God. It is important that these doors be opened, so that the king of glory may have access and bring glory into such lives.
May all gates and everlasting doors of our lives be opened for the king of glory to come in and we can then begin to manifest his glory in Jesus name. Amen.
