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I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” And now here we are, standing inside your gates, O Jerusalem. Psalms 122:1-2
Have you ever received an invitation to something and jumped at the chance because it was an exciting event, and an adventure that you look forward to?
I have a friend who has season tickets to a local professional team. When he invites me to a game, I jump at the chance. It doesn’t matter who they are playing, I just look forward to the atmosphere!
In Psalm 122, David is excited when he is invited to worship in Jerusalem with other believers.
Jerusalem was the center of Jewish worship just as the church is the center of Christian worship today.
David describes Jerusalem as being impenetrable. Nothing can attack it or defeat it. His place of safety, support, and security.
Now, we know physically that was not true for the city of Jerusalem, but spiritually speaking it was.
Jesus made a similar claim about the church. The walls of hell will not stand against it. The church is the strength of the believer to the glory of Jesus.
The church, as with Jerusalem, should be a place of unity and peace among God’s people. It should be a place where God’s people pray for harmony and prosperity.
When the church is at peace within its walls, the struggles outside seem less.
When the church focuses on the blessings of God and shows gratitude for all He’s done it glorifies the Father and strengthens the believers.
It’s the unity of believers that gives God’s people strength, purpose, and protection.
Never lose sight of the value of worshiping in a group, in person. When we worship in person we glorify the creator and are an encouragement to each other.
You’ve received the invitation! Get excited at the opportunity!
For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. Psalm 5:12
One of the best things we can do when we read the Bible is to place ourselves in the right mindset. When we read the Bible as a group of stories we can miss the whole point of its purpose. The Bible is not merely a ‘bunch of stories’ but a journal of the lives of men and women, like ourselves, that had to deal with daily stress, relational crises and physical pain.
Reading the Psalms give an excellent example of this. These ‘songs’ written largely by King David are full of emotions that run the gamut from despair and agony to elation and victory. Sometimes all within the span of a few ‘verses’.
Psalm 5 is no exception. In this prayer of David we see him laying in bed in the morning pleading with God for an audience. He is in despair. He is in fear. He is desperately seeking direction. He is a victim of the lies and assaults (verbal most likely) of those who claimed at one time to be friends.
In the course of his prayer he seems to remind God that He is a God of justice and that as such evil is not tolerated. He begs God to execute that judgment upon the evil ones attacking him. He asks that they be banished for the injustice they have caused.
In the end, almost as though God Himself has whispered in his ear, he looks at his struggles with a different attitude. God, his God, the creator God of the universe ultimately protects those who follow after His commands. His shield of protection follows him wherever he may go.
The same is true for us. If we are following close to God and building a relationship with Him that is built on His grace and our obedience to His word, He will protect us. That doesn’t mean we won’t encounter trials on the way, but it does assure us of His ultimate protection.
Because of this promise we should not be afraid to step out and follow our dreams. Others may point at a million reasons why we may not succeed, but if we are listening to the direction of our Heavenly Father we will overcome. When I am walking with Jesus I need not fear what the enemy throws at me for I am protected!
PRAYER: Father God, like David I lay awake some nights begging for justice and it never seems to come! My enemies are constantly pursuing me. Sometimes those enemies are real. Sometimes they are in my mind and thoughts. Help me to remember that the most important thing I can do is to follow you and trust you to protect me wherever I go. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 