"Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise,
in the city of our God, his holy mountain. It is beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth."
{Psalm 48:1,2} (NIV1984)
Each city
built by man, has something that its citizens point to as a point of pride and
glory. Many cities take pride in their skylines, or their government buildings,
or their park systems, or their proximity to a natural landmark. The number of
inhabitants is another thing that citizens point to as a point of glory.
Mankind has built cities since the beginning of our existence, and there have
been many beautiful and awe inspiring cities throughout the ages.
What would
prompt this description of Jerusalem as being beautiful and being the joy of
the whole earth? Is there something special here about its situation? Is the
city surrounded by natural wonders? Is it the largest city in the world? Is it
the most powerful or sophisticated? No! The reason that Jerusalem is beautiful,
and the reason Jerusalem is the joy of the earth is simply because the Great
LORD of all the earth dwells there. It is the city of our God.
As we read this
psalm this morning and as we hum to ourselves that praise chorus we used to
sing “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised…”, may we meditate on our
true situation in this age of grace.
Dear brother and sister, we have the
manifest Presence of God dwelling within our bodies; we have in our local
church the Manifest Presence of God dwelling among us. May we take pride in His
Presence, may we point to His Presence may we tell others how blessed we are
that He dwells with us!
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