Psalm 122 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 122 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord!"
Verse 2Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Verse 3Jerusalem-built as a city that is bound firmly together.
Verse 4To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
Verse 5For there the thrones for judgment were set up, the thrones of the house of David.
Verse 6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you.
Verse 7Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers."
Verse 8For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, "Peace be within you."
Verse 9For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.
Devotion
Jerusalem was the mountain of the Lord’s house, from which came His law, teaching people to walk in His ways. Today the church is the place where we teach all the Lord has taught us.
When we teach our children what God’s word has to say about troubled times, we are providing a lamp to their feet (Psalms 119:105). Biblical principles are like powerful flashlights that can light up even the darkest trial our children may experience.
Because we know this, we can convey this message verbally and non-verbally to our children as they watch our response to their trials. We can also ask them if they are willing to look for what God has to teach them in the difficulty they have experienced.
Prayer
Father, help us to "flee as a bird to the mountain" to find our sanctuary in you. Amen.