Jan 15, 2022
We love things that are hand crafted and skillfully designed;
built to last. Our favorite foods are slow roasted and aged
to perfection. The best things in life take time.
The journey of becoming like Jesus is the same; slow aged, hand
crafted, skillfully designed and built to last. A life of
faithful faith takes time. It's unfortunate, but some
think that a faithful Christian life can be quickly replicated much
like the meal one cooks in the microwave.
As Jesus himself pointed out in the parable of the sower, seed that
falls on rocky soil springs up rapidly...but quickly withers when
the hot sun comes out, because there are no
roots. Developing roots, takes time. So, here's the
truth: If you want to go where God is leading you in 2022, you need
to commit to a long journey of obedience to Jesus.
In Jesus' day, a faithful Jew would strive to take three trips
to Jerusalem to visit the temple; the Feast of Passover in the
spring, the Feast of Pentecost in the early summer, and the Feast
of Tabernacles in the autumn.
To appreciate this journey of worship, one must understand the
topography of Israel. Whenever someone traveled to Jerusalem
they literally traveled up. The city, and specifically the
Temple was one of the highest points in the land. So to help
them on their journey up to the Temple they had a series of Psalms
they would sing called The Psalms of
Ascent (Psalms 120-134). These psalms not only gave
them something to sing while they traveled, but each psalm reminded
them of their journey of faithfully following God.
In this brand new series for 2022 we are using these 15 psalms of
ascent. Each week we will focus on one truth we need to be
obedient to on our journey of becoming like Jesus. Do you
want to learn more? Give a listen as we begin a journey of
long obedience in the same direction.