Blog Post 43// Road Trip Anyone?

"Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways.” Psalm 128:1

We’ve been talking Psalm 128.

This is one of the Songs of Ascent, so named because it would be quoted and sung as part of the Israelites' road trip playlist. Do you love a good road trip?

Getting in the car, loading up and heading west, or just seeing where the road takes you. We love to manage and curate the playlist and the vibe and the experience. There's something about that—for about 20 minutes. And then we're like, Ugh, we should have flown.

Why did we bring the kids? Why did we have these kids?

It can go south real quick on a road trip.

But a Song of Ascent was sung as Jews were traveling to Jerusalem to be a part of one of the 3 annual pilgrim feasts.

There were three feasts on the calendar that God had said, get here and feast and worship and fellowship.

It's clear how much God loves a good party because there's all these feasts.

Not to mention the first thing we’ll do when He comes again and we’re all caught up with Him is have a feast. It’s called the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. It’s a celebration—a party.

So here’s where we are today: We’re part of His kingdom, a kingdom that is here and a kingdom still coming, introduced at the resurrection of Jesus and officially culminated when the events of the book of Revelation are realized and Jesus returns.

On that day there's going to be wine flowing from the hills, and the trees are going to clap their hands, and the mountains and rocks will split in two, and He'll make every wrong right. And there will be no more crying, no more disease, and no more tears. I am so down for that day. That's the kingdom fully realized.

So between the kingdom starting and it being fully realized, there is us. There is you!

There is me and you seeking to be the hands and feet of Jesus, seeking to have the Kingdom of God within us and shining from us. That's what it means to go to work as a Christian. That's what it means to go to school as a Christian. To live like a Christian.

It's to be the Kingdom of God in an expression while the world is still broken, while the Spirit of God is still inviting others to participate in it.

We're trying to make more room at the party table. We’re trying to add another name to the invite list.

And as N.T. Wright said:

The Kingdom of God can be understood as Jesus saying, "Let the party continue."

Many times Jesus chose to say, "The Kingdom of God is like... The Kingdom of God is like..." And after He said that, He compared it to a wedding.

Good food and drinks and cake and dancing and music and laughing and funny speeches and generations represented and the joining of hearts.

Isn’t it interesting the difference between how Jesus describes the kingdom and how the world perceives it? Or maybe even how you and I perceive it?

Psalm 128 is Jesus and His disciples traveling to Jerusalem together and singing while getting ready for a party.

And what is the heartbeat of the song? What’s the drumbeat?

It’s Jesus telling us that one of the best things you can do for the world that illustrates God’s kingdom, His Kingdom reality on the earth, is to have a strong and healthy family; that the best thing you and I can do for our family is to have a strong and healthy marriage. The best thing you and I can do for our marriages is to have a strong and healthy soul.

I can’t stress enough that the way to reach our world is not more laws, yes laws are important. Not better policies, yes, policies are important. Our response should be,

Wait a minute. If the world is broken, what can I do for the world?

I can have a strong and healthy family.

What can I do for my family?

I can have a strong and healthy marriage.

What can I do for my marriage?

I can have a strong and healthy soul.

What we feel like doing is posting. What we feel like doing is arguing.

What we should be doing is praying. What we should be doing is turning to God. What we should be doing is having a healthy soul—dealing with our own brokenness through the power of the cross.

This Psalm says that it is more than possible to see God’s kingdom realized on the earth.

It’s what I want. I know it’s what you want, too.