Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise,
    in the city of our God, his holy mountain.

….

Within your temple, O God,
    we meditate on your unfailing love.
10 Like your name, O God,
    your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;
    your right hand is filled with righteousness.
….

14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
    he will be our guide even to the end.

As the Jewish people of the Old Testament came together in the temple in Jerusalem, it was an awesome experience – climbing the mount on which Jerusalem was based, taking in the size and grandeur of the city compared to their villages, the bustle of the crowds for a special festival, and the sense of God’s presence and holiness in the temple. As they gather in the confined space and marvel, their minds are taken to the limitless nature of God who is at work throughout the world.

In the New Testament, the terms ‘city of God’ and ‘temple’ are symbolic of the church as the gathered people of God (e.g. Revelation 21v2-3, 1 Corinthians 3v16-17). Therefore, for us, this Psalm is a song about what we do together – our praise to him as we remember his unfailing love. How much more precious it is to do so now we have the record of Jesus Christ and his love for us on the cross! And our God is not just the God of the church, but the God who reigns over all things – reaching to the ends of the earth.

As we gather week by week, may our hearts and minds will be filled with praise to him as we wonder at what he has done through Jesus Christ. May our thoughts go beyond ourselves to acknowledge his work throughout the earth.

With much blessing,

Roland