Psalm 122

1 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 And now here we are, standing inside your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is a well-built city; its seamless walls cannot be breached.
4 All the tribes of Israel—the Lord’s people— make their pilgrimage here. They come to give thanks to the name of the Lord, as the law requires of Israel.
5 Here stand the thrones where judgment is given, the thrones of the dynasty of David.
6 Pray for peace in Jerusalem. May all who love this city prosper.
7 O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls and prosperity in your palaces.
8 For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “May you have peace.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek what is best for you, O Jerusalem.

As people of faith, what should motivate us to do the things we do?

Our Psalmist today says it's all "For the sake of the Lord's house"

Of course, the "Lord's House" cannot be accurately understood to be our church, although we often call church the "Lord's House". Since the Lord's House can only be understood as the place where God dwells, we then must recognize "The Lord's House" is our own spirit...the non-physical part of our being where our emotions, intellect and desires reside. Romans 6-8 clearly declares that...as believers...God dwells within us (in our spirits) in the form of His Holy Spirit.

So, what does it mean to say I do it "for the sake of the Lord's House?".
1. We should eagerly anticipate any opportunity to commune with God (v. 1)
2. We ought to devote ourselves to strengthening God's house (v. 3)
3. The thought of "God within us" ought to fill us with thanksgiving (v. 4)

The consequence is pretty clear. When the Psalmist says "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" he is challenging us to seek harmony in our lives...body soul and spirit. Only then will we see the "Lord's House" become a place of prominence that will please God. "The peace of Jerusalem", or harmony in our lives, means that our thoughts, attitudes, desires and actions ought to work together for the purpose of serving the "Lord's House."

Scott Peck one defined a christian as "a comfortable place for God to dwell". Today, we need to be the kind of people whose lives prompt God to say "I wouldn't want to live anyplace else!"
If that's not the case, we may have our priorities mixed up.

Live boldly out there today...