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Psalm 122
English Standard Version (ESV)
Let Us Go to the House of the Lord
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
122 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.
Reflection
- David wrote of his delight in going up to the temple to worship God in this short psalm. And the joy of finally arriving at Jerusalem where God’s people worships. Surely, this is a cause for celebration.
- Worship at Mount Zion was both a regular obligation (although a joyous event) and a bonding experience for temple-bound worshipers. What is “going to church” like for you?
- Psalm 122 also reminds us of how Jesus marveled and wept over Jerusalem (Lk 9:51; 13:31-35; 19:41-44). By comparison, what tears have you shed over your beloved city?
- Scan the city news section of your newspaper for events and people that need God’s “shalom” (peace and prosperity). Bring to God in prayer everyone you know in city hall and the key urban areas that need shalom.
Prayer & Journaling:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.
