Read
(A song by David for worship.)
A Song of Praise
1It made me glad when they said,
“Let's go to the house
of the Lord!”
2Jerusalem, we are standing
inside your gates.
3Jerusalem, what a strong
and beautiful city you are!
4Every tribe of the Lord
obeys him and comes to you
to praise his name.
5David's royal throne is here
where justice rules.
6Jerusalem, we pray
that you will have peace,
and that all will go well
for those who love you.
7May there be peace
inside your city walls
and in your palaces.
8Because of my friends
and my relatives,
I will pray for peace.
9And because of the house
of the Lord our God,
I will work for your good.
Reflect
When I was a child, I would often try and find “reasons” not to go to church. I remember even attempting to convince my parents that I would gain a lot more by staying at home and watching the latest televangelist. However, to my dismay at the time, my parents insisted that we would gather with the rest of the church to worship God. As the years have gone by, increasing numbers of Christians have decided that it is less important to gather each week with other Christians.
For the Israelites, there was a different attitude. The temple was located in the city of Jerusalem and was a real destination point. In Psalm 122, David declares that he “rejoiced” when people said “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
Psalm 122 gives us a picture of people from all over the land who are gathering in the city of Jerusalem because it is home to the Temple of the Lord. It is in this place that family and friends would gather together, united as one, to give thanks to the Lord.
As important as gathering together was, they were also called to seek the well-being of the city that hosted the Temple. The command is for the people to pray for the well-being of Jerusalem, to seek security and peace in the city, and to pursue prosperity for the city.
What an incredible picture for the follower of Jesus Christ today. We can learn from David about the reasons why we should gather with other believers, and the attitude we should do it with. We are also reminded that our gathering together should not end there; we should collectively seek the well-being of the community that our church is a part of.
This is what it looks like to be the people of God.
Respond
Dear Father God, Examine my heart when it comes to the Church. Give me a spirit that rejoices at the opportunity to gather with my friends and family to give thanks to you. Give me, and our church, a renewed heart for our community. May we as your people seek the well-being of our community. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Kirk Giles
Kirk Giles is Co-Lead Pastor of Forward Church – a multisite church in the Waterloo Region area of Ontario. He previously served as President of Promise Keepers Canada | Impactus – a global ministry equipping men for a life of purpose and godly impact. Kirk is married to Shannon and together, they have four adult children and two daughters-in-law.