What’s your favorite city? Why did you select that one… the food, the entertainment available, your experience with friendly, helpful people; or perhaps the fact that you lived there once? How about your least favorite city? Why did you select that one? (Let’s not go there, eh? ☺)
This morning in my Bible reading during “coffee with the Lord” I read about “Zion”… favorite city of the ancient people of God – the Jewish nation. For them (and in the Bible) it is an idealized city, representative of a future city – “the New Jerusalem” – eternal home of the righteous and God’s eternal abiding place! Psalm 48 talks about it – a “song of Zion”!!
“Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King. Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress… 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. Selah
“We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple. As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness. Let Mount Zion be glad! … Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, 13 consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, (i.e. consider her beauty – her qualities) that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.” (From Psalm 48 ESV)
All of this reminded me of an old southern gospel song….
“Here among the shadows living in a lonely land,
With strangers we’re a band of pilgrims on the move;
Through dangers, burdened down with sorrows
And we are shunned on every hand,
But we are looking for a city built above!
Here in disappointment often we so sadly roam,
Coffee With The Lord 