I was glad when they said unto me…

Psalm 122:1

I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.

What a wonderful announcement! What a joyful cry! What an exciting prospect! That we may go into the house of the Lord! It is where He dwells! It is where His glory is enshrined. It is where His presence is evident. It is where we hear the divine words from His mouth. It is where the holy people of God assemble to worship their glorious God. Let us go! Let us not stay! For there is no place I would rather be! I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand! Nothing else is alluring to me. Nothing else teases my desire. The very sound of the church bell rings in my ear as good news from a far country. It rallies my spirit. It awakens my soul. It rejoices my heart. I was glad when they said unto me!

For what do we have in God’s House? We have many wonderful things. For the people of God, who are fellow children of God, are coming also. We will see one another in the face, and edify one another. It would be a tragic thing to miss! It would be a mournful thing to lose. God’s presence is there. There is nothing greater! No greater enjoyment is possible than the enjoyment received by lingering in His presence. There is no greater ecstasy than the ecstasy of communion with God. Other communion may be sweet. Other fellowship is sublime. But it is only a mirror of the fellowship with our divine and gracious Creator. In the House of God we have protection from the evil of this world. Have you been discouraged? Have you been wearied by the battlements and bombardments of the world? Have you been wrestling with the wiles of the devil? Have you been under constant battery from the darts of the enemy? Come to God’s House! Come! Come! There is no enemy here! The devil is not welcome! The people of God are here! The Word of God holds sway! No fiend is present, no enemy lurking. All is peace in His house. All is holy here. All is centered on Christ. For the church is the bride of Christ. We have been betrothed to Him. We belong to Him. He has purchased us with His own blood. Come to God’s House! There is security here. There is pleasant fellowship here. There is friendly and warm reception. For the Lord Himself dwells among us. His tabernacle is with us. Oh, come to God’s House today!

Dear friend, have you heeded the call to come to His House? For it is the Lord’s Day! Have the things of this life distracted you? Have they depreciated the value of the Lord’s presence? Have the cares and riches of this life drowned out the importance of church assembly? Have the cares and temptations of the world dimmed the beauty and light of God’s dwelling? My brother! My sister! Nothing compares to what we have in God’s House. The world is strangely dim in comparison. The troubles of life are small when left at His feet. The distractions and deviations of life are unimportant when compared with the joy of His presence. Let us not let anything keep us from Him! It is the Lord’s Day! Let us dwell in His presence. For He has promised that He will abide with us for ever. He will dwell with us and be our God. And we shall be His people. Let us go to His House. For I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the House of the Lord!

“Oh Father, we praise Thee that we can come so freely to Thy House. And may it bring us great joy today to come into your presence. May it bring us wonderful happiness to know that we can abide in your place. Help us to be faithful to your house and your presence. Help us to encourage other believers today. Help us to bless other saints of God. Help us to show our love for them by our presence with them. And may this day be a day of worship and adoration for the One who loved us, and gave Himself for us. And these things we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.”