Read Psalm 122:1-9
Are you glad when it's time to go to the house of God to worship? Are you really happy when, on the Lord's Day or any other day, you can go to church? The psalmist was. "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord"' (v. 1). We worship the Lord privately as well. I trust that every day you read His Word and pray and worship Him. But Christians belong to each other. We are the sheep of God's flock. We're the children in His family, and we should want to worship Him together.
The house of God is a place for praise. Verse 4 talks about the tribes of Israel going up to give thanks to the name of the Lord. We also go into the house of God to praise Him, and how much we have to praise Him for! Charles Spurgeon used to say that Christians are prone to write their complaints in marble and their blessings in the sand. How soon we forget what God has done for us. The next time you go to church, praise Him for all He has done.
God's house is also a place for prayer. In verse 6 the psalmist says to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. I hope you are praying for God's people, Israel, and for peace in Jerusalem. I hope you also are praying for peace in your congregation, in your community and for those who are in authority. We are also to pray for prosperity--the riches of grace and spiritual blessing. "May they prosper who love you" (v. 6). The psalmist also prays for God's people. "For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, 'Peace be within you"' (v. 8). We should be praying for God's people and seeking good for them. "Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good" (v. 9).
* * *
Do not take your privilege of worship for granted. God's people should gather to praise Him and to pray to Him. When you do this, you become a vehicle through which God can give His peace to others.
Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group (bakerpublishinggroup.com). Used by permission. All rights to this material are reserved. Material is not to be reproduced, scanned, copied, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from Baker Publishing Group.