Peace, Father God, "let there be peace in Jerusalem!" Thus was the song for the Israelites to sing as they made their ascent to the house of the LORD. Picture them wending their way to that place where Your presence was dwelling, first in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple in Jerusalem.
It must have been wondrous for You to hear that and to see Your chosen people going to Your house, some by route, do doubt, but others with sincerity of heart. Certainly the psalmist of Psalm 122 had that joy and love for being where Your presence dwelt.
To be there...
To hear the songs of praise...
To see all "in one accord" giving thanks and praise to You, Father and blessing Your name.
They wished to be with You, to commune with You and You wished to commune with them. How blessed it must have been for You when they came with pure hearts to be with You.
Nowadays, when we go collectively to the gathering place of Your saints, to remember what Jesus has accomplished for us upon the cross with His sacrificial death, and with His resurrection, to just be in His presence, may we focus our minds and hearts upon Him and all He has done for us. May we bask in His presence and the 'just being there,' together, with Him.
He said, that even "where two or three were gathered together, in His Name, He'd be there in our midst." Now I know, Father, this was said at a time of reconciliation between brothers and/or sisters who'd gone astray in some way or had had a falling out. Yet, to desire harmonious accord with each other for Your sake, and to have Your blessing, You would show up even then to be with them no matter the two or three (Matthew 18:15-20). How precious these times are when Your children get together to reconcile and to give Jesus praise, adoration and thanks, remembering.
Remembering Him in His death and resurrection, because His sacrifice reconciled us to You! We pass the broken bread and the cup of wine to one another, in the assurance and hope we have in Him and in remembrance this Lord's Day.
May our hearts even be gladdened BEFORE we get there. May we joy and burst out in song along the road to "church" be it sheltering under that tree or in that building designated. May our countanences be alight and not grimaced in angry bickering with our spouse, child or some brother or sister in Christ. Instead, let a song of ascents flow from our hearts out of our mouths and through our lips; a sacrifice of praise.
May we praise before, during and afterwards to be with Him and in peace.
Definately, let there be peace in Jerusalem as well as in our hearts, homes, cars along the way, and in that "church" with our fellow followers of Jesus Christ.
In Jesus' most precious Name we praise, pray and sing.
~ERC May 2021~
Based on Psalm 122:1-9 (ESV)
Sing, We Joy in Our God, STEM Publishing.
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