Psalm 122 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 122 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord!"
Verse 2Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Verse 3Jerusalem-built as a city that is bound firmly together.
Verse 4To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
Verse 5For there the thrones for judgment were set up, the thrones of the house of David.
Verse 6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you.
Verse 7Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers."
Verse 8For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, "Peace be within you."
Verse 9For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.
Devotion
The psalmist rejoices in being able to worship God together with God’s people. He looks forward to and is thankful for it. Many of us take for granted our freedom to worship together with other believers. We have many excuses not to do so, in spite of the beautiful and comfortable places where we can worship together.
There are many Christians who are deprived of the joy of worshipping God with other brothers and sisters. That may be because of family opposition, political oppression or physical limitation. Some even have to risk their lives in order to worship.
We look forward to the day when all creatures in heaven and on earth can together sing, “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever” (Revelation 5:13).
Prayer
Dear Lord, let us not take our privileges and opportunities for granted. We pray for those who do not have the freedom to worship you, that your joy could be their strength. Amen.