Psalm 122-124

“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the LORD.’” (Psalm 122:1, NKJV)

We return today to a psalm of David. I must admit that his psalms are my favorites. He could capture a wide range of human emotions with his pen. He often wrote about gladness and joy. While many people find their joy in earthly and sensual things, David found joy in the house of the LORD. Here we see that the mere suggestion of going to the house of God made his heart sing!

David wrote in Psalm 27:

“One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4, NKJV)

When we first began construction on our church building, Cindy and I gathered with our youth and their leaders to write Scriptures on the wooden studs. Afterwards, we assembled on the concrete slab of the sanctuary and prayed. One of the women leaders prayed that we would all recognize that this as the house where we all come together to worship the LORD. Another woman read the verse I just quoted. More than anything else, David desired to dwell in the house of the LORD, for there he could behold God’s beauty and seek Him for the wisdom and guidance that he needed. Do we have such passion and joy to go to the house of the LORD?

As excited as we are to worship in our new facility, we know that God does not dwell in a temple made with human hands. The physical temple in Jerusalem no longer exists. Under the New Covenant, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, we should be just as joyful as David to worship in the house of the LORD with the family of God.

“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20, NKJV)

But even when we are alone in a quiet place, we can enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise (Psalm 100). We can approach His throne of grace with a heart filled with joy and adoration, for this too is the house of the LORD!