This Is Not Our Home: Psalm 120-121

Good morning!  Welcome.  I am so glad for each one of you who are here today.  Do you know that God is sovereign?  Do you know what that word "sovereign" means?

I think about it a lot.  I marvel at things that happen, opportunities that come about.  I laugh at myself when I doubt God and He proves me so very wrong.  In those moments, I say to myself, “God is sovereign.”  Sometimes I’ll say to someone else, “God is Sovereign with a capital S.”  When something really awesome happens where God brings together people in ways that are completely beyond coincidence, I may say, “God is Sovereign with a capital S and a capital -OVEREIGN.”

What I mean when I say that is.  God knows everything.  He understands everything.  He brings us together with the people that we’re with because it is exactly what we need when we need it.  I should have absolute confidence that God can manage my simpleton life and my meager trials because He is sovereign over everything that’s going on in all the earth, all the time.  He may allow certain things to happen, but He has the authority and power to step in and work situations and circumstances out in any way He sees fit.

I don’t really want to get too deeply into the “well then, why does bad stuff happen” question, but I also want you to know that God is not afraid of that question either.  Let’s just take a very small arena:   You.  You’ve got problems, right?  None of us are perfect, right?  Are you perfect enough to go to heaven?  I mean right now.  It’s Sunday morning, so I imagine you’ve had a bath in the last 24 hours.  I know that we wear fairly casual clothes here, but you still probably have some of your better clothes on. 

If I could open up a portal, a doorway to heaven right now, right over there on the wall somewhere.  Would you be qualified to walk through that door?  Would you fit in?  Would you be allowed in, like you are here, in your body, in your flesh, in your same clothes and shoes and underwear?

Maybe we can look at it a different way, heaven may be a bit beyond our imagination.  Let’s constrain ourselves to this physical world.  I’ve got a friend at work who had the opportunity to vacation in Aruba last week for several days.  He told me that while he was there, an oil tycoon from Venezuela had completely rented out a 10 story high rise luxury hotel on the beach there for his daughter’s wedding.

What if I could open up a portal, a doorway, to that wedding feast in Aruba and you had to jump up and go through?  Right now, not a second thought.  Boom, you’re there.  Would you fit in?  Would you feel at ease?  Would you know what to do?  Would you know what to say?  What if they were speaking a different language, probably Spanish?  There are some of you here who could communicate in Spanish, but what if your place was at the head table next to the bride and groom?  And what if you were expected to give a toast in front of 1,000 people in an enormous ballroom where everyone else is wearing tuxedos and gowns, and you’re dressed like you are right now?  And you have to do it in Spanish.

I wish I could have heart rate monitors on you all right now.  Some of you have an elevated pulse rate and blood pressure just thinking about it.  I think the answer is that none of us is ready for either scenario right now as we are.

We’re not ready.  So when God takes us to heaven, he’s got to make us ready.  We need to be changed.  The corruptible has to be exchanged for the incorruptible.  He’s already taken care of our sin-disease; He will take care of our scars.  He will give us new names and new clothes and the crown of life and authority and He will write His name on us and give us a place to sit with Him on His throne.  (Revelation 2:1-3:21)

When we go to heaven, we’re not going to be absorbed into a cloud of a single consciousness.  We’re not going to disappear into a pool of Nirvana without an individual existence.  We will still be us.  We will be unique and distinct.  In fact, in Revelation where it talks about getting new names, it says that we will get our new names on a white stone, known only to the one who receives it.  (Revelation 2:17)  If it is only known to the one who receives it, then it is logical that our distinctiveness as individuals must be preserved even in heaven, down to the privacy of our own thoughts.

I hope you get the gist of what I’m trying to say.  God wants you.  He doesn’t want you the way Uncle Sam wanted young men for the draft board during war time.  He doesn’t want to make you a cog in some kind of spiritual machine.  He wants a unique Carl.  He wants a unique Raven.  He wants a unique Barbara.  He wants a unique Emma.

Why?  Because He loves us, and He wants to be in relationship with us forever.  Dynamic, real and ever growing relationship.  The perfect Father.  The perfect Husband.  The perfect love.  It will be awesome.

Let’s come back to today.  Right here in Clemson, SC.  Here we are, in our mortal bodies.  In our semi-casual Sunday go to meeting clothes with our reasonably clean selves and our brushed teeth and brushed hair.

Are we ready to make that transition?  Are we ready to step through into heaven?  Some of you have that calm assurance.  “Jesus, I’m ready when you’re ready.”  Some of you can genuinely say, “Yes.  Come Lord Jesus.”  Others of you maybe are not so sure.  If I start talking about the second coming of Jesus, you may get nervous or maybe have a little anxiety.  You’ve got all the facts.  You’ve got the love of Jesus in your heart.  You have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and yet, you don’t feel as though you are ready to meet your Savior face to face.

What I want to say to you is that we should not be afraid.  God’s not through with us yet.  If we’re still here on this earth, God’s still working on us.  Our uniqueness, our attitudes, our relationship with Him.  He’s working on us.  He’s working with us.  He’s working through us.  His desire is to bring us to full maturity.  (Ephesians 4:13, 15, James 1:4)  His desire is to develop a true, perfect, love relationship with us.

How will He do it?  How will He work on us strengthening our relationship and growing us in maturity?  He does it through our circumstances.  He works through the people around us.  We’re all on a crash course growth plan.  It’s funny, but it’s sort of like college. 

There are all sorts of people in college.  Some are workaholics and think that they can do everything by themselves.  Some are party animals who don’t care about anything except having a good time.  Some are out for the experience.  They want to do as many different things as possible.  They can’t say no to any opportunity.  Some are diligent workers who connect with others to find how best to complete the work.  They build one another up and carry one another’s weaknesses in order to all reach the goal of learning and graduating.

Our earthly lives are like that in a way.  We’re all enrolled at JCU.  We’re at Jesus Christ University.  God is not the mean old professor trying to weed out folks who aren’t good enough.  God desires that everyone should graduate that none should flunk out. 

God is the perfect professor and perfect administrator.  He is sovereign.  He sees us everywhere we go.  He knows all the stuff we’re involved in.  He knows the things we struggle with.  He knows the things we are weak in.  And so, He sends us all the experiences, relationships, and circumstances that we need to bring us to maturity.  Some are easy.  Some are fun.  Some are boring.  Some are hard.  Some are painful.  Some are simple.  Some are understandable.  Some are confusing.

Why?  Because this must be the absolute best way to go about growing us up.  If it wasn’t, that wouldn’t be the way that God set it up.

And, all that I’ve said up to now, I’ve said in order to make this point.  Are you listening?

God is sovereign.  Capital S.  Capital O.  Capital V.  Capital E.  Capital R.  Capital E.  Capital I.  Capital G.  Capital N.

We can trust Him completely 100%.

When our circumstances get funky, when we don’t understand what’s going on, we can still be completely sure that God understands, and He is working out those circumstances for our very best.

We will face painful situations.  When we are in those moments, sometimes we may want to comfort ourselves with the thought that we’ve come to the hard place because God is trying to reach someone else.  We think that we’re somehow caught up in a situation like being caught in a current.  We just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Things can and do happen to us that we can’t understand.  However, God sees and understands everything.  We have to come to Him in those moments.  He has unlimited office hours.  We have to ask Him the tough questions.  We have to wait on the Lord.  We have to move forward when it’s time.  We have to trust Him.  We have to seek Him.

I looked up the word sovereign just to be sure I had the meaning right.  The adjective form of sovereign had 9 different definitions.  All of them apply to our God. 

1. First was superlative in quality.  Highest of the high.  King of kings and Lord of lords.  None like Him.  (I Timothy 6:15)

2. Second was being of the most exalted kind.  Supreme.  “At His name, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”  (Romans 14:11)

3. Next was having generalized curative powers.  “He carried our infirmities and healed our diseases.”  (Matthew 8:17)

4. Then was having an unqualified nature.  Cannot be defined or limited.  “His ways are above our ways.  His thoughts above our thoughts.”  (Isaiah 55:9)

5. Having undisputed ascendency.  Paramount.  You, Lord are exalted above all else.  The Name above all names.  (Ephesians 1:21)

6. Having supreme power.  None can stand against Him.  (Job 41:10)

7. Unlimited in extent.  Absolute. “Where can I hide from your presence?  If I ascend to the heavens You are there.  If I descend to the depths, You are there.”  (Psalm 139:7-12)

8. Enjoying autonomy.  Fully independent.  “He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back His hand or say to Him: ‘What have You done?’”  Daniel 4:35

9. And finally, befitting of a supreme ruler.  Royal.  “I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it.  Earth and sky fled from His presence.  Nothing could stand before or against His presence, nothing in heaven, nothing on earth.”  Revelation 20:11 (NIV and The Message)

There is tremendous freedom in the sovereignty of God.  Not that we should be lazy, but that we should be confident that the things that go on in our lives are under the watchful care of God.  We can come to Him at every moment.  He knows our hurts, our needs, our desires.  We can trust Him.  We can and we should worship Him.

Let’s pray.

Father God, help each one who is here today to affirm that You brought them here at this moment to hear these words for their good.  I pray that You would give us clarity and understanding.  Help us to see what You are doing in and through us.  Teach us to walk in love.  Show us how to trust in Your sovereignty.  May we find all our satisfaction in You.  May we worship You alone.  Amen.

So, today, we’re starting a new series.  The subject of our series is the Psalms of Ascent.  There are 15 of these psalms.  Psalm 120 through Psalm 135 to be exact.  They are relatively short.  The average is about seven verses each.  We’ll cover all 15 in their entirety over the next 9 weeks.

These psalms have been grouped together as marching songs or pilgrimage songs.  If you remember, the Jewish people were to assemble three times per year at the temple for the Passover, for Pentecost (or Feast of Ingathering), and the Feast of Tabernacles (or Feast of Booths).

The explanation that I saw for why these psalms have the name Psalms of Ascent has to do with either the steps leading up into the temple (every entrance had steps).  Or, the fact that going to Jerusalem was always an uphill journey.  No matter where you came from:  the coastal plains, the Sharon Valley, the Jordan River area, or any other direction; you were ascending.

These 15 psalms themselves are not tightly related.  There are some of them that share common features, themes, and even liturgical construction.  However, many of these Psalms have more in common with other Psalms not included among the Psalms of Ascent.

The exact reason why these Psalms are grouped together is not known.  One idea that occurred to me was maybe the musical arrangement of these Psalms was well suited to walking.  Or perhaps, they had nice melodies that everyone could sing together.  Perhaps, they each had different melodies, so you wouldn’t end up singing the same thing over and over.  Their short length would have made them easier to memorize.  In fact, we have songs based on several of them.  (121, 123, 125, 130)

Perhaps the topical variety can be explained along the same lines as my supposition of musical variety.  Singing over a variety of the ways that God has blessed whether it is thanksgiving for help or rescue or restoration or protection or provision or prosperity or love or unity (which are all included in the Psalms of Ascent), this brings us into a deeper sense of worship and awe at how God has touched our lives in so many ways.

Others of the psalms are prayers for the peace of Jerusalem, for deliverance from enemies, for overthrow of enemies, for hope in His love, for childlike trust, for mercy, for blessing.  This too gives a wider scope of worship and demonstrates the interactive nature of worship.  Worship can be declarative, “God, You are.”  It can be intercessory or supplication, “God, bless us.”  It can be thankful, “Thank you, Jesus.”  It can be adoration or praise “God, I love you.”  It can be a confession, “God, forgive me.”  

What is worship?  Isn’t that sort of like asking why is the sky blue?  It’s a question that we just don’t think to ask.

Is it what we do before the message?  Is that worship?  Well, yes, it is worship.  Is it the only kind of worship?  I hope you’re going to say no.

The words in the Old and New Testament that get translated into worship have the root meaning to bow down or to serve or to be devoted.  More than 80% of the time, it has the meaning to bow down or pay homage.  More than 10% of the time, it has the meaning to serve.  The remaining has the meaning to be devoted or revere.  By far, the idea of worship in the Bible has to do with recognizing and acknowledging Who is God and Who God is.

I didn’t have time to work out the details, but it is interesting to note that these words are used interchangeably whether you’re talking about worshiping the true God or worshiping idols.  However, worshiping of idols uses the root word meaning to serve more than the root word meaning to bow down or pay homage.  It’s like the verse Isaiah 42:8, “I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images [idols].”

As you follow these words through the Old and New Testament, it is also interesting to notice what portion of the words are combined with other activities.  We tend to think about worship and singing as being almost synonymous.  However, the concept of giving, sacrificing, or offering occurs much more often.  The ratio is four to one.  It is four times more likely in the Bible to have offerings attached to the concept of worship than singing.

We don’t talk a lot about giving in our church.  We don’t “pass the basket” as it were.  But it is critical to understand that giving is a big part of worship.  If you’re not giving to the Lord out of what He has given you, then you’re not experiencing complete worship.

Our giving needs to be foremost in what we do with our finances.  I’ve heard it said that if we don’t give God the first slice out of our pie, He’ll only end up getting the crumbs.  There always seems to be a financial need of one sort or another.  If we don’t take our giving to the Lord up front, it will all get spent and there just won’t be anything left.

How much should you be giving to the Lord?  One rule of thumb I’ve heard is that you should give until it’s just a little bit painful.  That lets you know that you’re really resting on the Lord for your provision and not yourself.  Another thought is, how much do you want God to bless you?  If you want to be richly blessed, then give generously. (Deuteronomy 15:10, 14; Acts 20:35)

Ultimately, our whole selves belong to God.  Our worship should then be an offering of our entire self.  “Here God, you have purchased me with Your blood.  You may do with me as You see fit.”  This is clearly stated in Romans 12:1, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

It is interesting that the sacrifice is qualified.  Our bodies are to be offered as living and holy.  We should bring God our best, not our worst.  We should strive to be obedient to God and give Him a holy sacrifice and not a selfish, sinful, soiled sacrifice.  In the vernacular of Clemson football, we need to be “all-in” for Jesus.  We need to play to win.  We need to go all out for Him.  If we play not to lose, if we try to be good enough without going overboard, we will lose.  We’ll be separated out like the goats in Matthew 25:31-46.

So, let’s zoom in now on this idea of singing as an aspect of worship.  To most of us, singing is worship.  God has given us a marvelous gift through music.  Psychologists find that various cultures even with musical styles quite different from our own still have a similar level of understanding of the emotion of a piece of music as those who have grown up with that style of music.  Primitive cultures without exposure to western music have been studied as well showing recognition of happy, sad, and scary even though their music does not depict emotion in a way similar to western music.

http://www.cognitionandculture.net/home/blog/16-nicolas/530-the-universality-of-music-cross-cultural-comparison-the-recognition-of-emotions-and-the-influence-of-the-the-backstreet-boys-on-a-cockatoo

We seem to have some level of designed-in recognition for music.

At the same time there are hundreds of musical styles all over the world.  One list I found had about 300 different styles.  Honestly, after looking at the list, I would say it is a low estimate even though it claimed to be “the most comprehensive list of genres of music available on the Internet.”

What is interesting to me is that we tend to lock in on a musical style and stick with it our entire lives.  What you grew up with often becomes the norm for you.  Or, what your friends like to listen to becomes the norm.  Or, what popular culture dictates may become the norm for you.  Or, what is cutting edge or musically diverse may become the norm for you.  Or, a style which you learned and can play on an instrument may become the norm for you.

I’m not trying to say that preference or diversity is wrong.  I’m just trying to point out that because there is tremendous diversity, we can be judgmental in our thinking.  We like our music, we like it our way, and we tend to think of other musical styles as silly or stupid or boring or unimaginative or even dangerous.

I’m a Clemson fan.  I’ve been a Clemson fan my entire life.  My father is an alumnus of Clemson.  I literally grew up drawing pictures of chickens in pots being cooked by tigers.  I am not making this up.  I have been a Christian for almost 24 years.  I love the Lord.  I want to love people more and more.

And yet, I have to swallow my pride when I come up against a Gamecock fan.  I was at the pastor’s conference last week, and I had a work email.  The individual had asked for information which was clearly provided in the immediate previous email.  If they had read the first email, then, their follow-up email would not have been needed.  To add insult to injury, the tone of the email was rude.

I told my wife at the pastor’s conference no less, that this particular individual was always making waves and that they were also a Gamecock fan which made them really tough to try and get along with.  We can laugh at that, but it’s true.  I have a tendency not to have a loving attitude toward Gamecock fans.

We can have a similar attitude about music.  We can look at folks and judge them on their musical preferences.  Just in the music team itself, we have our likes and dislikes.  Sometimes I understand why certain songs are not in the rotation so much.  We all have scars on different songs.  There may be a history where we struggled, so we don’t like to play it as much.  Some we’ve just played too many times, so some team members would rather not play them.

We are unique individuals.  We talked about that already.  I am also convinced that the music of heaven will be unbelievable diverse.  It will not be predominantly elevator music.

Did you know that Satan was the worship leader in heaven before he fell?  The one who wants nothing more than to steal, kill, and destroy is also a master of music.  The father of lies knows how to pluck the music strings to sway our hearts.

Music styles change.  There is a tendency for individuals to lock into a certain style.  As we grow older, there is the reality that the older people tend to hold the most authority for how the church will operate.  There is a tendency to push for the styles and things that we as the older ones want to have.

I am not saying that we need to chase musical fads to make sure the church doesn’t die.  I’m just saying that we need to be mature in how we think about worship music.  There are many valid styles.  I believe that there are some invalid ones.  For example, something very dark and brooding would not be a suitable music style.  Deafeningly loud music would also be an invalid worship style.  If you are damaging your hearing during worship, that’s probably not good.

I don’t think we have a problem in this area as a church.  I’m not overly concerned about it.  It just felt like today was a good opportunity to raise this issue.  I want us to think on these things so that if or when a conflict arises, we can have a mature and measured response in love.

Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. … Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.

Romans 12:16-18

Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way. I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. For if because of food [or music] your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food [or music] him for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking [or listening to music], but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 14:13-17

Should we talk about Psalm 120 and 121 before we wrap up?

In my trouble I cried to the LORD, and He answered me.

Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.

What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue?

Sharp arrows of the warrior, with the burning coals of the broom tree.

Woe is me, for I sojourn in Meshech, for I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

Too long has my soul had its dwelling with those who hate peace.

I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war.

Psalm 120:1-7

This Psalm refers to the time of exile.  The writer is sojourning in Meshech.  There is a region called which is in the northernmost area of the Assyrian empire.  Although it is not mentioned by name, this could have been one of the places that the Israelites were exiled to when the northern kingdom was destroyed in 722 BC. 

Another possibility which seems to be more closely linked with the tents of Kedar was Meshech as a son of Aram.  This may indicate an area somewhere around Damascus.  This would coincide with the known areas of the nomadic tribes of Kedar.  Kedar was the second son of Ishmael.  This tribe was known for its trading of livestock as well as it’s warlike stance.

Regardless, you get a sense of the turmoil that the writer is facing by living in a place that is antagonistic to God.  Even when this guy is speaking peace, his neighbors are for war.  He is tormented by misunderstandings, lies, and deceit.

What about you?  Do you face the hardship of relationships which are antagonistic toward God?  Bring them to the Lord.  The psalmist was answered.  We do not see the result, but we can take his example and comfort that the Lord will respond to our cries.

Let’s look too at Psalm 121.

I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from whence shall my help come?

My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand.

The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night.

The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.

The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.

Psalm 121:1-8

This is a familiar psalm to many, I think.  We often sing a song with the first two verses.

The psalm highlights which God we are talking about.  Our God is the Creator God who made heaven and earth.  Our God does not sleep.  He is always there as our keeper and protector.

The reminder of the sun and moon not smiting would have been welcome on a long pilgrimage on foot.  As you traveled in those times, it would be an opportunity to be afraid.  What about bandits or wild animals or just inclement weather?  What about your home that you left behind?  Would it be at risk while you were away?

Interestingly, God made a promise to the Israelites all the way back in Exodus 34 regarding these pilgrimages.

Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel.  For, I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your borders, and no man shall covet your land when you go up three times a year to appear before the LORD your God.  Exodus 34:23-24

I think we can also take God at His word for this in our own lives.  “For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you … was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes …”  II Corinthians 1:19-20

We don’t need to fear that someone will covet or steal from us when we devote our time to worshiping the Lord.  He is more than able to protect our “lands.”

When we come before the Lord we should come prepared to worship.  In Deuteronomy, it is made clear that you did not come before the Lord empty-handed.

Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Booths, and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you.  Deuteronomy 16:16-17

We do not come to the Lord with sheep or goats.  Jesus has become the once and for all perfect sacrifice, but we can and we should bring a sacrifice of praise. 

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.  Hebrews 13:15-16

I’ve been reading the Message during my quiet times over the last month or so.  The Message is a paraphrase of the Bible rather than a direct translation kind of like the Living Bible.  It can help give a fresh perspective on passages you have read many times.  I wanted to wrap up today’s message with some encouragement about worship from The Message.

Worship God if you want the best; worship opens doors to all His goodness.

Young lions on the prowl get hungry, but God-seekers are full of God.

Psalm 34:9-10

Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on?

    Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me!

…

Leave your impoverished confusion and live!

    Walk up the street to a life with meaning.

…

Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-God,

    insight into life from knowing a Holy God.

Proverbs 9:4, 6, 10

Mark a life of discipline and live wisely;

    don’t squander your precious life.

Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me,

    awake and ready for me each morning,

    alert and responsive as I start my day’s work.

When you find me, you find life, real life,

    to say nothing of God’s good pleasure.

Proverbs 8:33-35

God made my life complete

    when I placed all the pieces before Him.

When I got my act together,

    He gave me a fresh start.

Now I’m alert to God’s ways;

    I don’t take God for granted.

Every day I review the ways He works;

    I try not to miss a trick.

I feel put back together,

    and I’m watching my step.

God rewrote the text of my life

    when I opened the book of my heart to His eyes.

Psalm 18:20-24

But God hasn’t moved to the mountains;

    His holy address hasn’t changed.

He’s in charge, as always, His eyes

    taking everything in, His eyelids

Unblinking, examining … inside and out, not missing a thing.

Psalm 11:4-5

God is a safe-house for the battered,

    a sanctuary during bad times.

The moment you arrive, you relax;

    you’re never sorry you knocked.

Psalm 9:9-10

What have we talked about today?

·     --Our God is a Sovereign God.

·     --Because our God is a Sovereign God, He is worthy of worship.

·    --Because we have been purchased by the blood of Jesus, we should worship God with our whole selves.

·     --Our God is a good and loving God protecting and providing.

·     --We can trust Him.

Let’s pray.

O God, You are a mighty tower, a strong fortress.  We are never sorry when we come to You.  Thank You that Your holy address has not changed and that it’s always a local call to reach You.  You are not far off, You are near and even in our midst.  You have been so good to us.  Refresh us and draw us closer to You in worship.  May we acknowledge You and place ourselves at Your feet.  It is right and good for us to pay homage to You, O Sovereign King.  Amen.