Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 122:1-9
Ps 122:1-9
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, 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.
1 Cor 11:17-20
17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval.
The church at Corinth was good about meeting but for the wrong reasons. It is a wonderful thing to be able to “go to the house of the Lord” but it is only beneficial if we are going for the right reasons. It should be a pleasure and something we look forward to doing on a regular basis. For the faithful Jew in the time this was written, it was required of them several times a year to go to the Temple and observe a special feast and worship occasion offering sacrifices.
We are told to offer the sacrifice of the fruit of our lips as we praise God. Paul says we are to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs in praise and worship. Our time together as fellow Christians is to be used to praise God and show our love for him. As we recognize God and his majesty, we worship in awe and reverence.
While we worship together as a church, we also worship and praise God in our everyday lives. We are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices. We are told that all we do in word or deed is to be done in the name of the Lord. As we let Jesus live in us, we live for him and show others his love. This honors our Lord.
O Lord God, my heavenly Father, I am so glad to be able to worship you with others and in so doing to encourage others and be encouraged to be faithful to you. Help me live every day of my life in a way that honors you and your holy name. Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your church where love and peace abound. I ask your blessings on your people, wherever they are that they can be what you want each to be. Give healing to those who are sick, according to your will. Guide our government leaders. I pray in the name of Lord Jesus.
Robert
