Day 760: Psalm 122- Joyfully Returning To Worship

I was glad when they said to me,
    “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
2 Our feet have been standing
    within your gates, O Jerusalem!
3 Jerusalem—built as a city
    that is bound firmly together,
4 to which the tribes go up,
    the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for Israel,
    to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 There thrones for judgment were set,
    the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
    “May they be secure who love you!
7 Peace be within your walls
    and security within your towers!”
8 For my brothers and companions' sake
    I will say, “Peace be within you!”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek your good.
 
Meditation
The gospel awakens hearts to joyfully re-join corporate worship! Post COVID numbers for US church attendance are beginning to get back to pre-covid status. Today’s Psalm offers lyrics for life as we re-emerge: With gladness we “go into the house of the Lord” (1)!
 
This psalm of ascent was sung by pilgrims returning to Jerusalem for sacrifices, celebrations, and worship.  The song includes praise for arriving at the temple for worship (1-2), the beauty of the city of Jerusalem (3-5), and prayer for peace for God’s people (6-9). Grace awakens us to rejoice in returning to corporate worship today and to pray for continued peace among the congregation tomorrow.
 
Christians understand corporate worship as the gathering of God’s temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) and a foretaste of God’s eternal city (Revelation 22:1-5). We must respond to God’s grace by reclaiming the privilege of rejoicing as we rejoin corporate worship!
 
Rejoicing in the Lord overflows into prayers for peace and unity of God’s Temple, His family. In a world of pain and divisions we pray for peace and protection, “Pray for peace!... peace within our walls!... may the God of peace be with you!” (6-8).
 
Christian rhythm of rejoining worship should be regular and will lead to rejoicing. We gather to regularly worship often with family and friends, daily for personal worship, and weekly as a Church. The anticipation of being glad (1) will be fulfilled (9) when we lean into God’s design- Let us be glad to go to the house of the Lord!
 
Richly Dwelling
-Do you await with gladness to go to the house of the Lord for worship, re-joining corporate worship? Why or why not?
 
-What are hurdles keeping you from regular rhythms of worship as a family, individually, and corporately as a church?
 
-How does the declaration of the Gospel and the revelation of God’s design deepen your desire to return to the house of the Lord for worship?
 
Key Verse
1-“I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”