If you're not eagerly anticipating gathered worship, something's wrong.
Psalm 122 (NIV)
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 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, 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 stand the thrones for judgment,
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 family 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.
Listen to passage & devotional:
Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 28: The Obligations of Church Members
We believe that
since this holy assembly and congregation
is the gathering of those who are saved
and there is no salvation apart from it,
no one ought to withdraw from it,
content to be by himself,
regardless of his status or condition.
But all people are obliged
to join and unite with it,
keeping the unity of the church
by submitting to its instruction and discipline,
by bending their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ,
and by serving to build up one another,
according to the gifts God has given them
as members of each other
in the same body.
And to preserve this unity more effectively,
it is the duty of all believers,
according to God’s Word,
to separate themselves
from those who do not belong to the church,
in order to join this assembly
wherever God has established it,
even if civil authorities and royal decrees forbid
and death and physical punishment result.
And so,
all who withdraw from the church
or do not join it
act contrary to God’s ordinance.
Summary
For the past two weeks, we've been coming to understand the "obligations of church members" as we've worked our way through this 28th article of our Confession. Certainly the word 'obligation' is a good word to describe the duty we have as people who belong in life and in death, and in body & in soul to our faithful Savior, to "submit to instruction and discipline, bend our necks under His yoke, and build one another up. Yet the word 'obligation' does have a negative connotation to it, as if being part of the Church is a burden to bear.
David reminds us here in this 122nd psalm that quite the opposite is true, writing "I was glad when they said to me, 'let us go to the house of the LORD.'" Joining with the Lord's saints and coming into His presence is one of life's greatest privileges! It's the ultimate opportunity to fully experience what it means to be an image bearer of God as we listen to Him speak to us, and then respond in prayer and praises.
Psalm 122 is part of a grouping of fifteen psalms known as the Psalms of Ascent. These were the short songs that pilgrims coming to worship in the Jerusalem temple would have sung on their journey. You can still sense the eager anticipation that they sung these Psalms with!
Dig Deeper
You're likely reading this on a Friday, near the close of another work week, as you look forward to the weekend. What is it that you're eagerly anticipating over these next couple of days? Probably some yard work, a home improvement project, watching your kids or grandkids play a ballgame, or maybe a get together with friends or family?
All of those are certainly good things that God has given us to enjoy. But where does "going to the house of the LORD" fit into your priority list? Has that been something you've eagerly anticipated for days now by humming psalms to yourself as you've delighted and meditated upon the law of the Lord (Psalm 1)?
Or has it slipped down a peg or two in importance? You'll likely be bouncing from one thing to the other all weekend (often times weekends seem busier than the work week!). Is going to church just another thing you have to 'get to,' that is, if you have the time? And how about evening worship? Do you think of that as optional extra credit? Or maybe you dread the prospect altogether and only show up if something special is going on.
If you're not eagerly looking forward to gathered corporate worship each Lord's Day, something's wrong and you need to fix it right away. What changes need to occur to make you desire to be there the way the psalmists do in these Psalms of Ascent? If your ideas for changes are good and profitable for all, share them with your pastor or elders! They'd love to hear them! Your perspective is important and may be being missed.
But more likely, the busyness and temptations of the world have crept in and bit by bit robbed you of your love and desire to worship God alongside His people. So if you truly rejoice with those who are going to the house of the LORD, be thankful! But if not, pray that the Spirit will rekindle that desire within you.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who invites us into His house;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that anything that impedes your desire to go to the Lord's house will be cast aside;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Timothy 5
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