King David wrote many of the psalms in the Bible. These are poetry, set to music, and used in worship. So David was not a guy who got bored in church or spent Sundays on the golf course.
Let me show you from David’s words in Psalm 122 five good reasons to go to church.
- This is the house of the Lord
David knows there is a peace he can’t find anywhere else but church. Where the promises and truths of Jesus Christ create the agenda for the morning. Where the world’s problems collide with a divine response and it makes us sigh a relief of faith that says, “The Lord God is taking care of that.” Where the Lord serves his guests with a feast of forgiveness and love. Where empty hearts are filled and busy lives take rest in the Lord who always has time for us.
“I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord’” (Psalm 122:1). David got excited when he went to church. David couldn’t wait to get there.
- David loved being with God’s people
Church is a gathering of like-minded friends loved by God and who love God. On Sundays we get together and it’s good. “That is where the tribes go up—the tribes of the Lord” (Psalm 122:4). My tribe is here. We encourage each other. We need each other.
- Church is a place to honor God
Church is not only a place to receive divine help and promises from God, but to give God something. David went there “to praise the name of the Lord” (Psalm 122:4).
Go to church this week and God your heart full of thanks, full of appreciation, full of faith, full of worship. Sure, you can sing in the shower and praise God, but it’s higher praise when the music and everyone else at church joins you. Or, well, you are joining them.
- God expects to meet you there
If you follow a recipe, commit to a fitness routine, or discipline your children because someone wrote a blog that really makes a lot of sense and you’re doing what the blog says, then why wouldn’t you do everything God says, who is perfectly wise and perfectly loving and knows exactly what is best for you? David went to church “according to the statute given to Israel” (Psalm 122:4).
It’s a way of saying, “God, you’re the best. I trust you and believe in you.”
- David wanted peace for his church and community
People who pay attention to God can see the lack of peace in our world and our community, and can see how much peace is attacked in the lives of those in our church. It’s a battle. So we come to church for reminders that life is full of trouble but because of Jesus we don’t need to be afraid, we come to church to look in each others’ eyes and say, “Peace be with you,” we come to church to pray for our community be be equipped to go into our neighborhoods and work places as messengers of peace.
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem … For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, ‘Peace be within you’” (Psalm 122:6,8).
See you in church!
PRAYER: God, I can’t wait to meet you this Sunday! It will be some friends and I. See you there. Amen.
FURTHER MEDITATION: Read Psalm 122. What one word or phrase does the Holy Spirit use to help you better appreciate church?