Song of ascents

Last Sunday, I came to the emergency room with a chest pain, which was a harbinger of a relatively massive heart attack. I had a STEMI (ST-elevation myocardial infarction) in the territory of the heart supplied by the left anterior descending artery. Even though my wife drove me to the hospital without a prior call to the hospital, there was a team of people who worked expeditiously as if they were waiting for me to come in. They placed stents in the artery to open up the blockage and a balloon pump to ease the work of my heart. Working through these good people, God saved me and extended my life.

For a while, I could not even sit up. I laid helplessly and could only entrust those around me. Even though I wanted to, I could not go to the church to worship and praise the Lord.

From Psalm 120 on, there are several psalms that are labeled as Songs of Ascents. Jerusalem is sitting on a mountain plateau and surrounded by valleys and (dry) river beds. So to go to the temple, one had to ascend or climb up. The songs of ascents are songs sung as one went up to the temple.

Having been in bed against my wishes and unable to ascend to the place of worship, I can appreciate all the more how precious the hour of worship is in the company of fellow believers. There is nothing more valuable than to know the Lord intimately and praise His holy Name.

My Father, my Lord.
You have given me a breath to sing your praises;
therefore, I will sing your mercy, grace, and salvation.
You have given me eyes to see and shed tears;
therefore, I will shed your tears of mercy and long to see you and the world from your perspective.
You have given me ears to hear;
therefore, I will hear the words of blessing and accept them with faith and obedience.
You have given me a mouth to speak;
therefore, I will use it to utter and actively share my faith, so that I may have a full understanding of every good thing I have in Christ (Philemon 1:6).
You have given me a mind to think;
therefore, I will seek to think your thoughts.
You have given me a heart, a new heart;
therefore, I want to feel your feelings and cry out to you, you who turn your ears to me (Psalm 116:2).
In Christ, you have made me a new creation. Let me now live a life as a new creation. Fill me with your presence. I want to be ever so intimate with you. Amen.