March 18
Reading: Psalm 134
A Psalm of Ascents.
1 Come, bless the LORD,
all you servants of the LORD,
who stand by night in the house of the LORD!
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place
and bless the LORD!
3 May the LORD bless you from Zion,
he who made heaven and earth!
The Songs of Ascent, which began in Psalm 120 in faraway Meshech and Kedar, end in the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, worshipping the Lord “day and night.” These are songs for the pilgrim journeying to Jerusalem to worship in the Temple. Psalm 134 concludes the Songs of Ascent with glorious ceaseless praise (vss. 1-2) and a benediction (vs. 3).
This fulfills the promise of Jeremiah.
I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it. Jeremiah 33:7-9
The Lord saves us and brings us to Himself so that we can worship Him together. The most important thing that we do in this world is to praise our God. The most direct way that we can obey Him is to worship Him. The best way to enjoy His blessing in our lives is to worship our King. You cannot worship God and hide your sin, for if you try, the Lord will convict you and not receive your worship. You cannot worship God and remain ungrateful and grumbling. A thankful heart is a happy heart.
Worship cures mental illness and sometimes physical illness. Worshipping God lifts our eyes above the daily worries and drudgery onto the Lord and His glorious works, of which we are a part.
Do you have a daily practice of worship? Or is it only once a week? If you are not making time every day to stand and lift your hands to the Lord in worship, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, then you are missing out on His blessing.