靠近神是什么意思？若在今天提出这个问题，你将会听到很多关于参与宗教仪式、做一个正人君子、和“感受到神的同在”的答案。
骤眼看来，这篇诗篇似乎非常切合这些答案的模式：“手洁心清”的人才能高升到神那里和站在衪面前；而我们大多数人都希望能够这样说：“那人就是我了！”然而，顺服神需要的不只是有好的意图那么简单。
有一则常识问答曾这样说，如果你认为事情的准确性达到百分之99.9便足够了，那你便可能步向悲剧了。举例说，百分之0.1的出错率，便足以严重影响航空的安全、输电网的运作，还有我们的饮用水供应。同样，我们为神生活时，尽上很大的努力是不足够的，因为神要求我们达到完全的地步（参看马太福音 5:48）。
尽管神造我们是要我们靠近衪，可是我们当中没有人能真的达到手洁心清的标准来靠近神；然而，神已经赐下能达到这标准的一位：就是“荣耀的王”耶稣，衪已勇猛地胜过罪和死亡的权势，又为我们打开了通往天上的道路了。
在我们思想耶稣升天时，我们知道衪已经先我们而去，好让我们也可以靠近神。今天就让我们庆祝基督所成就的大功吧！
圣灵啊，今天耶稣正在神的右边，满有能力地为我们祈求（罗马书 8:34）。求你帮助我们举目仰望衪，又求你洁净我们的心和帮助我们信靠衪。阿们。
诗篇 24
1地和其中所充满的，世界和住在其间的，都属耶和华。
2他把地建立在海上，安定在大水之上。
3谁能登耶和华的山？谁能站在他的圣所？
4就是手洁心清，不向虚妄，起誓不怀诡诈的人。
5他必蒙耶和华赐福，又蒙救他的神使他成义。
6这是寻求耶和华的族类，是寻求你面的雅各。（细拉）
7众城门哪，你们要抬起头来！永久的门户，你们要被举起！那荣耀的王将要进来！
8荣耀的王是谁呢？就是有力有能的耶和华，在战场上有能的耶和华。
9众城门哪，你们要抬起头来！永久的门户，你们要把头抬起！那荣耀的王将要进来！
10荣耀的王是谁呢？万军之耶和华，他是荣耀的王。（细拉）
“Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD?” - Psalm 24:3
What does it mean to get close to God? Ask that question today, and you will hear lots of answers about practicing religious rituals, being a good person, and “sensing the divine presence.”
At first, this psalm may seem to fit well in that framework: the one who may ascend to God and stand before him has “clean hands and a pure heart.” And most of us would like to say, “That’s me!” But obedience to God requires a lot more than good intentions.
There’s a trivia exercise that says if you think 99.9 percent accuracy is good enough, you could be headed for a disaster. A 0.1 percent failure rate could have a major impact on airline safety, for example, or on the electric power grid, or on our drinking water. Likewise, in our living for God, a really good effort is not good enough. God looks for perfection (see Matthew 5:48).
Though we are made to be near God, none of us has the truly clean hands and pure heart required to approach him. But God has provided One who can: Jesus, the “King of glory.” He has triumphed mightily over the forces of sin and death, and he has opened the way to heaven for us.
As we reflect on Jesus’ ascension, we see that Jesus has gone ahead of us so that we can be near God. Let us celebrate that finished work of Christ today!
Holy Spirit, lift up our eyes toward Jesus, who is praying mightily for us today at God’s right hand (Romans 8:34). Purify our hearts and help us to trust in him. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
