Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 48:1-8
Ps 48:1-8
1 Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain. 2 It is beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth. Like the utmost heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King. 3 God is in her citadels; he has shown himself to be her fortress. 4 When the kings joined forces, when they advanced together, 5 they saw her and were astounded; they fled in terror. 6 Trembling seized them there, pain like that of a woman in labor. 7 You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish shattered by an east wind. 8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD Almighty, in the city of our God: God makes her secure forever. Selah
Heb 12:22-24
22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
When Jerusalem was the city of God, there was not anyone or anything that could bring them down or defeat them in battle. He promised that as long as his people followed his will and respected him as God, he would protect them and bless them with blessing beyond their imagination. For a time the city flourished under the reigns of David and his son Solomon. The city showed the glory of God.
We, as the people of God, are his city and we are much greater than was the city of Jerusalem in all of its glory. They had the Temple of Solomon but we are the temple of God, and today, he lives in each one of his own. They had the hills that stood above the rest of the region but we shine like lights in a dark night. It is up to each of us to show the glory of God in our lives. Jesus said we are to let our lights shine before men as they see our good works and glorify the Father who is in heaven. The church of God transcends time and space, and while on earth is but a foretaste of the eternal home, in the presence of God and Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Father help me wrap my mind around what it means to be a part of your church, to have the protection of your power in my life and to know that all I do is a reflection of your glory. As I realize that even now that my citizenship is in heaven and not on earth, I am filled with peace and joy as I live in hope. I need your wisdom daily and I need your strength to be used by you in your way. Fill me with your love so that it overflows to all around me. Be with those who are sick, taking treatments and getting over surgeries. I pray in Jesus name.
Robert
