Daily Devotional • August 20
Psalm 122
1 I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
2 Our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem—built as a city
that is bound firmly together.
4 To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 For there the thrones for judgment were set up,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls
and security within your towers.”
8 For the sake of my relatives 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 good.
Meditation
Growing up as a pastor’s kid, going to the “house of the Lord” every Sunday and Wednesday often felt like a chore. I was rarely glad when my parents said to me “let us go to the house of the Lord.” As a parent working in ministry now, I find it shocking when my kids get excited about church. They come downstairs and say with such innocent joy and say “Mommy, Daddy, it’s a church day!” Maybe they are just excited about the toys or the snacks. Or maybe they are eager to worship and grow closer to the Living God.
Our faith teaches us that there is much to be learned from children, a tenet that is not always reflected in our church practice. Children embody an innate curiosity and excitement to learn. They teach us how to wonder and be amazed at the most ordinary things.
Have we grown out of our childlike faith? Have we lost the joy of dwelling in God’s presence? I know that I have at times. Perhaps we can turn this psalm into our prayer today. Gracious God, restore unto us glad and eager hearts that we may enter your house with your praise on our lips. Amen.
Steven McCain serves at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church and St. Timothy’s School in Raleigh, North Carolina. He lives in the Raleigh area with his wife, Elizabeth, and two sons, Benjamin and James.
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
The Diocese of Igbomina – The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)
St. Michael’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, Carlsbad, California