Prayer for the Lord’s Blessing upon the Sanctuary.
A Song of Ascents.
132 Remember, O Lord, on David’s behalf,
All his affliction;
2 How he swore to the Lord
And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
3 “Surely I will not [a]enter my house,
Nor [b]lie on my bed;
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes
Or slumber to my eyelids,
5 Until I find a place for the Lord,
[c]A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah,
We found it in the field of [d]Jaar.
7 Let us go into His [e]dwelling place;
Let us worship at His footstool.
8 Arise, O Lord, to Your resting place,
You and the ark of Your strength.
9 Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness,
And let Your godly ones sing for joy.
This passage is focused on David finding or building a dwelling place for God. Yet David knew, even if others didn’t, that God does not dwell in “houses made by man”. But he also knew that the people needed a place to worship God, to come together. They did that in their homes, but it wasn’t quite the same, though both are necessary.
That is, we don’t just go to church and then forget about God all week. Neither do we serve God in our homes and neglect meeting with other believers. There is value and importance in all of it, and we need balance in our lives as we serve and follow God. Like the psalmist in the second passage says, “Let us go into His dwelling place…”
The amazing part is that God’s dwelling place is now in the very hearts of His followers. As our pastor likes to say, God doesn’t dwell in the church, we bring Him with us. Of course, God is omnipresent, so He was already there. But when we come to a special place of worship like a church or temple, it helps us focus on Him all the more.
So don’t forget that God is always with you, wherever you go. Talk to Him, listen especially, and be mindful of His presence in your life throughout the week. And then, remember to meet with fellow believers, to be iron sharpening iron. Encourage them and be encouraged as you come together in His name. Push yourself to grow in faith, and don’t be content with where you are. God isn’t finished with any of us yet, not by a long shot!