March 28
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ZION, THE CITY OF OUR GOD
Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God!
His holy mountain, 2 beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.
3 Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress.
4 For behold, the kings assembled; they came on together.
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic; they took to flight.
6 Trembling took hold of them there, anguish as of a woman in labor.
7 By the east wind you shattered the ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts,
In the city of our God, which God will establish forever.
9 We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.
10 As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness. 11Let Mount Zion be glad!
Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments! – Psalm 48:1-11
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Like Psalm 46, Psalm 48 is a hymn celebrating Zion as God’s special city, which he defends for the sake of the world. It remembers some great event, in which Gentile powers had attacked Jerusalem but did not conquer it. Though material fortresses may have their place, it is crucial that God himself be the defense of his people.
In the Old Testament, God had Zion as his holy city, on top of the mountain. After Jesus died for all of our sins, he dwelled in our hearts through the Holy Spirit living in us. We are the temple and we need to remain holy and pure as God made his home in our hearts.
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ADORATION: Praise be to the temple of the Lord, where He lives and bring life.
CONFESSION: Forgive me whenever I forget that you are my stronghold, my fortress.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for dwelling in the hearts of all those who believe in you.
SUPPLICATION: May the Lord dwell in the hearts of all believers and may they all remember to gather in Spirit and in truth.
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REFLECTION
• How can we maintain holiness and purity in the temple of the Lord which is our bodies?