The House of God

DEVOTION

PSALMS

THE HOUSE OF GOD

Ps 122

122:1 A song of ascents. Of David.

I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD." 2 Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem. 3 Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. 4 That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, to praise the name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel. 5 There the thrones for judgment stand, the thrones of the house of David. 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure. 7 May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels." 8 For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, "Peace be within you." 9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity.

NIV

The third psalm of ascent for the third step to the temple. There are some scriptures which are plainly situational for the time of their writing, or as some scholars have said there are descriptive rather than prescriptive. Sometimes we look at this scriptures, such as this psalm and wonder, how does it apply to our lives. We know all scripture is useful for rebuking, correcting, teaching and training in righteousness so that the person of God will be fully equipped. So although, some may be considered descriptive is also prescriptive, that is, it has to apply to us as well as to the people of the time it was written. We can fully agree, especially in light of Sunday being our Sabbath day and we gather with other believers in the house of the Lord. In our post-modern culture many churches have taken on an atmosphere that does not appear to be the traditional concept of church. Some has forsaken the pew for nice padded theater style seating. Some have left the little white church with the spire for an auditorium capable of seating hundreds, if not thousands. Some have choirs and orchestras that would challenge Carnegie Hall, while others have simple praise teams. The styles and formats of today’s church vary as much as people do. But when we all gather in whatever and wherever, we gather in the house of the Lord. We can say, “It has been good to be in the house of the Lord”. When we are there, we are in fact at the gates of heaven, standing before the throne of God. We can pray for the peace of God to rest on his church, his temple, we his people, for we are the temple of the Lord. We, the people of God are his temple now. Yes, we have church buildings, but we are the house of the Lord. So whether we are in the building on our Sabbath day, or in our bodies the rest of the week, we can say’ “It is good to be in the house of the Lord”. When David said the he will say, “Peace be within you”, he was speaking of Jerusalem where the temple was. Jesus said;

John 14:27

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

NIV

We, the temple of the Lord have his peace within us. There is no war, no havoc, no turmoil, no conflict, no fear, no worry or anxiety, but only the peace of Christ. It would seem it is impossible for all those things and his peace to reside together. David asked people to pray for Jerusalem and that those who love her be secure. Once again as we pray for our Jerusalem, the new city coming down out of heaven, our eternal city, we pray for the day the Lord will come for us to take us home and in so we are secure. We find our security in Jesus, not in the world, but only in Jesus. Safe and secure and from all alarm for we have the peace of Christ within the temple of God. We are the house of God.