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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!
How I suffer in far-off Meshech. It pains me to live in distant Kedar. Psalms 120:5
Have you ever been far from home? You are on vacation or away at school or perhaps your job has taken you away from the familiar surroundings of family and friends.
You love what you do. You have a good life. You feel truly blessed. Yet there is an emptiness, a longing for the stable structure of the familiar?
In Old Testament times Jerusalem and the Temple was home to the Hebrews. It was there that God dwelt. It was in Jerusalem that one felt truly at home socially, ethnically, and emotionally.
But life happened. Through exile and other things the Hebrews were scattered around the Mediterranean world. A few times a year they would go ‘home’ to celebrate God’s goodness, worship His faithfulness and reconnect with family and friends.
When they were with God and His people, life was good. But then the cycle would repeat. Life called them away with a longing for ‘next time in Jerusalem’.
Have you ever felt that longing? Perhaps sin has lured you away? Maybe it’s just the busyness of life. “Weekends are the only time I have for me.” It could be a bad experience when the body of Jesus abused or failed you.
Maybe it’s time to come home. Maybe you need to return to Jerusalem. There is an emptiness when we are far from Jesus. An emptiness he never intended.
Don’t allow the failure of people or the busyness of life keep you from enjoying Jesus!
Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. Galatians 4:7
In the early 1960’s a picture was published of John F Kennedy Jr playing under the desk of his father, John F Kennedy, president of the United States.
This picture was taken during a time of world crisis, yet John Jr played at the feet of his daddy, totally oblivious to the crisis at hand.
He didn’t understand the severity of what was going on around him. All he knew was he was with daddy and that’s all that mattered.
He didn’t realize that his dad was, at that time, considered the most powerful man in the world. He was with dad and that was all that mattered.
Throughout the Bible, fathers are honored and respected. None of them were perfect. Some were evil. But the standard of fatherhood rested in Jehovah God not in men.
Because of Jesus, I am a child of God! I don’t need to worry when others attack me.
When others fail to have compassion over my situation, my Heavenly Father understands.
When Truth is hard to find, He knows and ordains what goes on in secret. Even when hardships come my way He gives me strength in the attacks.
Even the best earthly dads fail regardless of their intentions. But your Heavenly Father never fails.
He never loses his temper but is always patient.
He believes in you regardless of how many mistakes you make.
No matter what’s going on around you, the seen and the unseen, He’s never surprised, never frustrated, never second guessing his decisions.
He understands you at every stage of life. As an infant he feeds you. As a teenager he guides you. As an adult he encourages you. As a senior citizen he strengthens you.
You are a child of the most high. Live in the power of his promises.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 