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? J)
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) 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 – 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, 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: “Looking For a City!” – The Chuck Wagon Gang ….
“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,
And earthly friends, no longer speak one word of love;;
But truly we have found contentment,
Jesus promised us a home!
So we are looking for a city built above!
“In this land of dangers we are going here and there,
We’re simply trusting in the blessed Savior’s love!
And mercy tho’ we may be strangers,
Living in this world of care,
We’re always looking for a city built above!
Refrain:
“Looking for a city where we’ll never die,
There the sainted millions never say goodbye!
There we’ll meet our Savior and our loved ones, too!
Come O Holy Spirit, all our hopes renew!”
The book of Revelation puts it this way…
“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’” (Revelation 21:2–4 ESV)
Coffee With The Lord 