Click this link to hear an audio version of the below text narrated by SOTH member Jerry Rhinehart:
Psalm 122 New International Version (NIV)
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” 2 Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem. 3 Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. 4 That is where the tribes go up—
the tribes of the Lord— to praise the name of the Lord according to the statute given to Israel. 5 There stand the thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David. 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure. 7 May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” 8 For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” 9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.
Come, “‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’” (Psalm 122:1b) What an amazing invitation. To enter the gates of Jerusalem and be invited to worship; to go to the house of God! Jerusalem is a city built for worship, bound tightly together, a fortification for the Lord. Within its walls, the people of God find justice and mercy, peace and grace. As the people of God gather, notice the final two lines of the psalm, “For my brothers’ and companions’ sake I will say, ‘Peace be within you!’ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good”. This is how we are organized as worshipers: not for our own sake, but for the sake of others. When we gather, we seek the wellbeing of those around us. Today, consider what you might do for the sake of someone else. Where can you give your personal desires the back seat for the sake of being gracious, helpful or supportive to someone else.