- Friday Worship - 19.06.2020

The Lord's Temple!

by Deacon Crimson

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First Reading: - Psalms 42: 1 - 5

Second Reading: - Psalm 84

Gospel Reading - Luke 4: 15- 20

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Dear Brethren,

Greetings to you in the Redeeming name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus.

David's life was always always in connection with the presence of the Lord whether he was in the wilderness or palace. In Psalms 42, we see his heart was yearning for the presence of the Lord with the fellowship of the people. As he was fleeing from Saul, he had to stay on the harsh desert where there is scarcity of water, food and unwelcoming weather condition. But all these did not bother him rather his soul was longing after the Lord's presence. His heart was breaking at the past memory of going to the temple of the Lord along with the family members and friends and the lack of such lovely gathering troubled his heart to the maximum.

Dear Brethren, David experienced in his life the importance of the fellowship. We know the pandemic is spreading again and the reopening of the churches is extending and a true believer must have the same yearning of what David had come across.

What exactly is there in the Lord's presence?

1. His Loveliness for his Beloved:

For this question we find answer in

Psalm 84 :1

How lovely is your tabernacle, O LORD of hosts.

Anything that's sweet and lovely draws our hearts to take and rejoice over it. Such is loveliness and sweet is found in the Lord's presence. We always like our loved ones close to us and the most loving God draws us into His presence to pour of His love on us.

2. Fatherly Shelter:

²⁶ Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

The Psalter speaks of the sparrows and swallows that found shelter in the house of the Lord. We love to see these little creatures and their tweets are fill the air with a sweet music and they found shelter in the Lord's temple.

3. Praise and Thanksgiving

Psalm 84: 4

Blessed are those who dwell in your house ; they will still be praising you.

Praise can bring success and victory. We thank and praise the Lord in the temple of the Lord and it has its own powerful effect in our lives. Jehoshaphat, David's grandson from the fifth generation, when he was surrounded by the enemies did not keep any artillery in front of his army. But he kept the men of praise and the power of praise simply subdued the largest enemy camp (2 Chronicles 20: 22). Dear Friends, enjoy the Lord's victory in your life by the praise. Moreover the shots of praise can simply demolish a great wall like Jericho (Joshua 6:20).

4. Tears turning into Joy

Psalm 84: 6

As they pass through the valley of Baca, they make it a spring; the rain also covers it with pools.

Here, the Psalter speaks of a group of people when he mentions the pronoun "they". Perhaps they would have suffered, loss, pain, drought and famine. They cried with a heavy heart with tears, which is denoted as Baca. The result was great as showers of blessings filled their fields and and pools. I need not repeat the story of Hannah how her broken heart has brought a great relief (1 Samuel 1: 10).

5. From Strength to Strength

Psalm 103 : 7,14

They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.

He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.

This is what our own strength is before the Lord. But in His presence, we find strength after strength. And His strength will be made perfect in our weakness.

Brethren, like David, we too are distressed because we cannot worship together. But you can make your house a place of worship and your heart a perfect temple of the Lord. May the Lord richly bless you.

Prayer

Loving heavenly Father, we thank you for your love towards us and in you we find shelter, joy, strength and comfort. Help us to come together and worship you by putting an end to this pandemic Lord. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen

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