GLORIOUS THINGS
Opening Prayer
Thank you, Lord God, for the privilege that is mine to worship you in spirit and truth.
Read PSALM 87
Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. A song.
1 He has founded his city on the holy mountain.
2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are said of you,
city of God:[a]
4 “I will record Rahab[b] and Babylon
among those who acknowledge me—
Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush[c]—
and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’”[d]
5 Indeed, of Zion it will be said,
“This one and that one were born in her,
and the Most High himself will establish her.”
6 The Lord will write in the register of the peoples:
“This one was born in Zion.”
7 As they make music they will sing,
“All my fountains are in you.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 87:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 6.
- Psalm 87:4 A poetic name for Egypt
- Psalm 87:4 That is, the upper Nile region
- Psalm 87:4 Or “I will record concerning those who acknowledge me: / ‘This one was born in Zion.’ / Hear this, Rahab and Babylon, / and you too, Philistia, Tyre and Cush.”
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
What are the ways through which you find the most joy as you worship God?This psalm is the basis for a well-known hymn by John Newton (1725–1807), which begins ‘Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion city of our God.’ Like the psalm, it celebrates the joy of being one of the people of God, and the grace that has given us such a favored position.
Zion was the hill on which Jerusalem was built, and it came to be known as the city of God. The psalmist considers it a great privilege to have been born there. Throughout Scripture Zion came to represent the church, and so this psalm speaks to us of the privilege that we have when we are born again and included in the family of God, with our names written in heaven (Hebrews 12:22–24).
For those of us who know God in this way, worship is a natural response to such grace. Music and singing are instinctive responses to the goodness of God and rightly characterize our worship. We find our strength and joy in God. The Spirit within us becomes a spring of water bubbling up, or a fountain overflowing with life (John 4:14; 7:38).
Apply
Ponder the privilege of being a child of God, and the miracle of the new birth. How good it is to belong to the people of God!
Closing prayer
Gracious God, thank you for the opportunity to worship together with other people. Fill our hearts with a spirit of praise as we meet together.
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