Tuesday, January 2, 2024

“House of the Lord” by Phil Wickham

We sing to the God who heals

We sing to the God who saves

We sing to the God who always makes a way

'Cause He hung up on that cross

Then He rose up from that grave

My God's still rolling stones away

There's JOY in the house of the Lord

There's JOY in the house of the Lord today

And we won't be quiet

We shout out Your praise

Where is your house of the Lord, your temple? Where do you go to worship God?

Ephesians 2:20-22
²⁰ Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. ²¹ We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. ²² Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

Historically, the cornerstone was the strongest, most supportive component of a building’s foundation and served as the guide for the rest of the structure. Similarly, Christ is our cornerstone—the unshakable and unbreakable foundation on which we build our lives. And the truth is we can go to God at any time because he came near to us! You don’t have to go to a physical place to be with him. You just have to trust in God’s promise that he is with you.

There is joy in our lives because God lives within us—we are his temple. Lately, I have been reminded of the simple truth that no matter what is going on in my life, when I look to Jesus, I can find joy. He wants us to be with him.

Some of us really do feel closest to God at church, but for others, it’s being outdoors, reading Scripture, quietly praying or journaling, participating in a Group, or serving on a DreamTeam. For me, it’s listening to worship music on my way to work in the morning. During those moments, I am present with God and open myself up to receive him. I experience true peace and joy in his presence.

My hope for you this coming year is that you find your own way to connect with God. Because he is always with you, and you can encounter him wherever you may be.

Questions:
God is with you, but are you with him?

How do you find joy in the Lord? What is your favorite way to worship God and experience his presence?

Next Steps:
Try out different types of worship to find one or two of your favorite ways to connect with Jesus. Then challenge yourself in the next year to regularly incorporate them into your daily and weekly schedule. Start small and go from there!

Listen to “House of the Lord” by Phil Wickham.

Prayer:
God, there is joy in the house of the Lord, and I don't want to be quiet about it. I want to look to you and praise you no matter what circumstances I am facing. I know you are with me, and I want to be with you. I am ready to be open handed and receive you. I am not going to ask you for anything at this moment. I just want to praise you and experience the joy of being in your presence. Amen.

This post was written by Becca Roberts, a regular contributor of the LivingItOut.