Psalm 122

Bible Passage:  Psalm 122

Sorry, I’ve Got Church

“Sorry, I’ve got church,” often our reply to outings and invitations on Sabbath day.  It’s an easy statement to say and an opportunity to show how important it is for us to go to church, especially on the Sabbath Day. Yet there are times we give in and go out on a Sabbath day, which makes this verse worth contemplating: “For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good” (Psalms 122:9).

Whether church is a hired venue or a dedicated building, whether we gather in the company of two or three or hundreds more, we should go. We do not go to church to merely mingle and chat, and we do not go to church as a chore or because we’re bored. Going to church is an act of our faith—we go to church to seek God.

In Psalms 122, the Psalmist points out three actions that we should do.

Firstly, we should be “standing within the gates”. This does not literally mean to be standing at the gates of church, but that we should remain in this church and believe that it pertains to our salvation, that one day we may stand within the gates of heaven.

Secondly, we should “give thanks to the name of the Lord”. To give thanks to God, we can sing hymns of praise, offer tithes, participate in church works, listen to His words, share testimonies, pray, and remember His immense love that He desires to share with us.

Thirdly, we should “pray for the peace of Jerusalem”. Jerusalem was the capital city at the time, a place where brethrens dwelled together hence it was a place where there were many dear and loved ones. So we should pray for the peace and security of our friends, family and church members.

When going to house of the Lord, the Psalmist expresses joyfulness and gladness, and he truly sets his resolve upon seeking God and His goodness. As True Jesus Church members, how do we feel when go to the church?

So we should not be sorry that we cannot be hanging out or gathering with our family, friends and colleagues because we’ve got church. Instead we should seize the opportune moment and share our faith about why we go to church; we should seek the joy and goodness of going to church.