Read
(A song for worship.)
The Lord Is Always
1Our Lord, don't forget David
and how he suffered.
2Mighty God of Jacob,
remember how he promised:
3“I won't go home
or crawl into bed
4or close my eyelids,
5until I find a home for you,
the mighty Lord God of Jacob.”
6 When we were in Ephrath,
we heard that the sacred chest
was somewhere near Jaar.
7Then we said, “Let's go
to the throne of the Lord
and worship at his feet.”
8Come to your new home, Lord,
you and the sacred chest
with all its power.
9Let victory be like robes
for the priests;
let your faithful people
celebrate and shout.
10David is your chosen one,
so don't reject him.
11 You made a solemn promise
to David, when you said,
“I, the Lord, promise
that someone in your family
will always be king.
12If they keep our agreement
and follow my teachings,
then someone in your family
will rule forever.”
13You have gladly chosen Zion
as your home, our Lord.
14You said, “This is my home!
I will live here forever.
15I will bless Zion with food,
and even the poor will eat
until they are full.
16Victory will be like robes
for the priests,
and its faithful people
will celebrate and shout.
17 I will give mighty power
to the kingdom of David.
Each of my chosen kings
will shine like a lamp
18and wear a sparkling crown.
But I will disgrace
their enemies.”
Reflect
Being homeless is a great challenge! King David felt strongly that he should build a temple home for God in which his Spirit could dwell. This psalm was possibly written by King Solomon after he dedicated the temple having overseen its construction. Until then, for about four hundred years, the ark had been moved through the wilderness and then around the Promised Land, but now at last a resting place for the ark was found and the priests could practice their ministry (vv 4-9).
This passion to see the temple built was not only for God’s abiding presence to be confirmed but also because the ark symbolized God’s throne on which, God had promised, the Judean kings from David’s line would continue to reign forever (vv 11-14).
God remains true to his promises and in his time this was all fulfilled in and through God’s King, Jesus Christ, who would come to be our king reigning on God’s throne forever (v 17).
Through Christ, we can by faith, now know the indwelling presence of the Spirit and be clothed as joyful priests with salvation (v 16). As Jesus taught us, when we trust in him he and his Father will come to us and make our home with us (John 14:23). What an amazing mystery and a high privilege – for our bodies to be the temple of the living God and for us to be called to be priests worshipping out of this temple!
Respond
Lord Jesus I joyfully praise you for making my heart your home. Lord, may you reign in me leading me in your ways of love and truth. In your name I pray, Amen.
George Anderson
George is a retired Presbyterian minister who resides in Binbrook Ontario, Canada with his wife, Audrey. George & Audrey emigrated from South Africa to Ile Perrot, Quebec, in 1989 with their four daughters all of whom are now married and living in Ontario with their nine grand-children. After teaching high school Math and working in SU in South Africa, George pastored two churches there and four churches in Canada, the last being in the beautiful Muskoka town of Huntsville. The main focus of George’s ministry has been building up congregations through the renewing grace and power of the Spirit of Jesus as expressed in Acts 2 v 42 – teaching, fellowship, eating together and prayer. George enjoys bird-watching and hiking with Audrey and the occasional tennis and golf.