Hello, my friend. One of the joys of travel is the privilege of visiting various cities. I will never forget my first visit to Europe in 1947, when our ship passed by the severely war-damaged ports of France and finally landed in Belgium. It was my first glimpse of what had been the terrible battlefields of the Second World War and it was so impressive. Many of the streets of Antwerp were still rubble-strewn, and buildings were still giving evidence of the atrocities of war. Then when I got to Brussels, I was immediately fascinated and overjoyed at the beauty of the Grande Place and other areas. My first trip to London was one I will never forget, visiting many beautiful churches, attending great concerts and enjoying the beauty of this city along the Thames River. I have always considered it my second favorite city.
But my favorite city is Jerusalem. I well remember driving up the hills of Israel from Tel Aviv, with a Jewish friend of mine. We saw a sign along the side of the road, “The Border between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.” And just a bit further we rounded corner and there was the City of David, in all the glory of its limestone buildings. And I simply stopped the car and wept at the sight. And that city has provided me more pleasure than any other city on earth, because of its spiritual significance, and its remarkable historical importance as a crossroads of the nations through the centuries.
So our PSALM 48 for today is simply a powerful tribute to Jerusalem, the City of our God, on His holy mountain. The writer says, “It is beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth.” (vs.2) And the reason for this joy? “Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love. Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth, your right hand is filled with righteousness.”
This is speaking, I think, about the universal glory of God after Christ returns to the earth. But we can apply it, I think, to today because in many ways God’s praise reaches to the ends of the earth, even though the whole earth hasn’t yet begun to praise the Lord. It is amazing how the Word of God has spread throughout the world during the last fifty years. At least parts of it are available in every major language on earth and in 80% of the dialects. But the important thing is that the Bible, made available, is allowed to dwell in the heart of the reader. What is the point of owning even a dozen versions, if we refuse to meditate on it, day and night? Just owning a car will get one nowhere. The point is to learn how to use it. So with God’s Word. When we do, we can shout vs.14, with the Psalmist, “For this God is our God forever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.”
“We’re so thankful Lord that you are indeed our guide even to the end. And the end will come, perhaps sooner than any of us dream. But with your Love in our Hearts, your hand on our Heads, your Word on our Lips, we can walk with you and praise you all the journey through. Thank you, Lord.”
And thank you, my friend, for your fellowship in Christ. It’s so good to be together. Cheerio!
These meditations on the Psalms were written by Village Schools of the Bible Founder, Monty Sholund and first published in book form as Monty’s Musings on the Psalms in 2000.
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