Cathedrals

One of the things I love about the Psalms is that they remind me to focus less on the challenges of life and more on the security we have that Jesus carries us and comforts us in a threatening world.

Psalm 48 is written to be a celebration of the security of Mount Zion, the highest point in ancient Jerusalem. While it’s not geographically the highest ridge, its significance as the mountain of God makes it known as the highest. It’s also described as “Kingdom of Heaven” or “Holy Place.” Psalm 48:1-2:

Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain. Beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth, like the heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of our Great King.

Ken and I have had the privilege over the last fifteen years to take some wonderful vacations, including river cruises down the Rhine and Danube rivers in Europe. We’ve toured beautiful castles and learned the history of lives lived long ago.

Each town we’ve visited always had a cathedral in the center of the town. The expansive heights, stained glass windows, gold chalices, and beautifully inlaid details on the chairs for the church leaders were breathtaking! I’ll never forget walking into one of the churches and, as I scanned the room, it was obvious that they had run out of money building the back half of the church. It was soon explained to our group that each of those beautiful churches was paid for by penance money from parishioners. When the system of financial penance was abolished, the church ran out of money.

In Psalm 48, the sons of Korah make it clear that it’s not the human involvement making towering cathedrals, but God himself. Verse 3

God is in her citadels; he has shown himself to be our fortress.

We don’t need to run to idols to fulfill and cope when we need a fortress to protect us. How often do we think… “If we could just create our own mini cathedrals”… only to realize that when we are half-way done, our life is still upside down? God himself is your fortress, my fortress. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.” Rather than focusing on the challenges around us, let’s focus on the One who carries us through our days!

And don’t forget, the Holy Spirit is IN US if we’ve accepted Jesus as our Savior. I Corinthians 3:16 says:

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

Friends, you are a beautiful creation. The God of the universe is alive in you!

Whatever you’re facing today, remember God is your fortress! Run to Him! Amen!

Pastor Pam

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