GLAD TO GO
Opening Prayer
Lord, I am truly blessed. Through Jesus Christ, I am Your child, and Your presence goes with me.
Read Psalm 122
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4 That is where the tribes go up—
the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
8 For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Ponder on the words of this song: ‘May I never lose the wonder, / Oh the wonder of your mercy … Amen.’*I find the first verse of this psalm challenging. Do I ‘rejoice’ when it’s time to join others for worship? Often on a Sunday morning I’m rushed and stressed trying to be ready on time. I rarely stop to think about where I am going and why. If I’m honest, it’s routine more than any sense of excitement that I’m going to meet with the Almighty God.
As we noticed earlier in the year, Christians have differing views on how we should read passages about Jerusalem and Israel. Whatever your own particular stance may be, it’s clear that in this psalm David is talking about going to Jerusalem to be in the presence of God. While he describes Jerusalem positively (3), it is not the city’s beauty that excites him. He doesn’t seek the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem for the sake of its architecture, but because it is where the house of the Lord is located (9).
When Jesus went to Jerusalem, he was angered to find the Temple being used for profit rather than as a place to meet with God. Whatever the nature of the communal worship we may participate in today, let’s take care not to lose the awe and wonder of entering the presence of God.
Apply
Take this moment to think of all the reasons you have to praise God for today. Now praise Him!
Closing prayer
On this Your day, Loving Lord I go to worship You above all else, and pray for the spirit of joy to be in my heart. I also pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
*Matt Redman, ‘Mercy’, from the album ‘Your Grace Finds Me’, 2013
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