Worship (Daily Encouragement)
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!”– Psalm 122:1
There is a pattern within the Psalms of Ascent – they are written in groups of 3 where the first psalm reveals trouble, the second shows trust in God and the third is our response. This Sunday (and all of next week) we will look at one of our responses to God delivering from trouble: worship. It is literally a Psalm about worshipping corporately with God’s people, in our context it’s going to church. In a culture both culturally (60% “non’s) and as Christians (only 30% of professing Christians “involved” in a church), this Psalm is a helpful corrective on the call to worship and be engaged with the body of Christ.
The first line catches many by surprise: “When they said, ‘Let’s go to the house of GOD,’ my heart leaped for joy.” But it shouldn’t. Worship is the most popular thing that Christians do….It is one of the important acts in a life of discipleship. And what is far more interesting than the reasons (excuses) people give for not worshiping is discovering the reasons they do. Psalm 122 is the song of a person who decides to go to church and worship God. It is a sample of the complex, diverse and worldwide phenomenon of worship that is common to all Christians. It is an excellent instance of what happens when a person worships.
There is a clear thread and call throughout all the Scriptures that Christians are to be a part of God’s family and one aspect of being a part of God’s family is to worship our God together. Join us Sunday and on this blog next week to look closer at “what happens when a person worships.”
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. – Hebrews 10:23-25