The name Jerusalem will make the heart stop a moment. It is not just a city. It is not just a place on a map. When I say that name, I get the oppressiveness of something far beyond my ability to describe, which is much older, much deeper.
Jerusalem was not arrived at randomly by God. He chose it with purpose. He said, 2 Chronicles 6:6, I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name should be there.
There is so much in that one verse. Among all the locations on the earth God indicated Jerusalem and said - this one. This is in which my name will lie.
The temple was constructed there by King Solomon, and when he dedicated it he gave forth one of the most beautiful prayers ever to be found in the whole scripture. He requested God to pay attention to all the prayers that would be paid to that house.
Hear thou in heaven thy place of abode, and when he harken, forgive ( 2 Chronicles 6:21). Solomon has known something that I believe most of us have forgotten nowadays that prayer is not a phrase we utter in the air. A direction towards God is prayer. and Jerusalem was the turning point of the turning.
Jesus himself was very much attached to that city. He did not keep silent when he got into the temple and realized how it was being misused. He said, therefore, "The house of prayer shall be my house" (Matthew 21:13). Those words were not new.
He was quoting Isaiah 56:7 that states that the house of God will be a house of prayers to all nations. Not for one tribe. Not for one nation. For all people. That has been a personal touch to me, the thought that this house had never been intended to shut out anybody who came to it with a true heart.
Jerusalem makes me know that God is serious about worship. He replaces prayer with seriousness. And I think He takes care of all the honest hearts calling on him, wherever they may be on this earth.
The Psalmist said, "Pray Lords, to the peace of Jerusalem: they will prosper that loveth thee" (Psalm 122:6). Caring about what God cares about has a blessing associated with it.
Jerusalem is not just history. It is a reminder that God has never wanted to be distant of His people, God has never failed to provide a means through which people can approach Him.
Thank You So Much For Reading Through My Post