Day 290.
These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
a multitude keeping festival. (Psalm 42:4 ESV)
Psalm 42 is David’s lament for the things he misses because of his enemies. His enemies have him on the run and cast out of participation in the temple. He says his soul pants for God as a dear pants for water. I hope and pray that I never find myself in David’s situation, unable to come into the presence of God. Thank the Lord that I won’t! As are so many of David’s psalms, this one too foreshadows the experience of Jesus, who was cast out of God’s presence as he went to the cross. As the sin of His people were put on his back he suffered for them. His enemy the devil brought the charges against him, and his enemy death took him. But Jesus prevailed and overcame them. Hs resurrection was his statement to the world of victory and he once again entered the presence of God, this time leading His people in procession with glad shouts and songs of praise. This is what we are to be each Sunday as we come into the house of God, which is now the people of God, to worship. We are “a multitude keeping festival” because of the victory of our savior!
Do you think of worship in this way? What keeps you from seeing your church family as a “multitude keeping festival”?
Ask God to give you this view of His church.
McCheyne’s Bible Reading Plan: 1 Kings 20, 1 Thes 3, Da 2, Ps 42-43
I see my church like this because of all the festivals they have. I used to see my church as I didn’t want to go because I didn’t want to learn the same things at every service but now I want to go because I am learning more than I ever had because I am going to big church with my family. I like to shake hands with people it makes me more excited to be there. As we shake hands it makes me feel like I am not alone in the grown up church.
Church seems like a festival at the beginning. But sometimes the service is boring, more for adults.