Harmony: Wonderful and Pleasant
Today, I accomplished a personal recovery goal. I was able to walk, in my struggling gait, the full length of the basket ball court. In the past half court was the most I was able to accomplish. This brings a ray of hope for my continuing recovery.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!” Psalm 133:1 NLT
How would you describe unity or harmony? As the spiritual pilgrims gather in Jerusalem, the long journey has come to an end. God’s people are together from their various territories and villages. They have all come for a single purpose; to worship. They have come in obedience to the Lord and with a focus to enjoy the presence of the Lord and the fellowship of each other.
In this atmosphere there is no, “business” to be transpired other than God’s “business.” No agenda. No plans or strategy sessions. All that would divide is laid aside for a singular focus and purpose.
When I “googled” “unity” I found it interesting that it included the number one. Unity is such a degree of integration, that a group functions as a single unit. Jesus prayed for His disciples and all who would believe on Him, “…that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” (John 17:21 NIV) We see this fulfilled in the Book of Acts when we read, “All the believers were one in heart and mind.” (Acts 4:32 NIV)
In this psalm we see that harmony or unity is precious. “…harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head…” (Psalm 133:2 NLT) Anointing oil in the Old Testament was a special blend of oil and spices that was used for only special occasions. It was used to cleanse, it was used to designate a King or to set apart the one serving as High Priest. Unity is precious, it is unfortunately, rare. But when it is present, God is beginning to act. A new day is dawning and hope arises.
We see that unity is refreshing. “Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion.” (Psalm 133:3 NLT) When unity is present, it brings a refreshing from all that divides and creates tension. When the early church was wrestling with Gentiles coming to faith and how that impacted the following of the law, after much discussion they came to a consensus. As they wrote of their unified decision, they said, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us….” (Acts 15:28 NIV) Unity brings a sense of relief, it brings life and joy.
Finally, we see unity is a place of blessing. “…there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.” (Psalm 133:3 NLT) When the church functions in unity there is life, growth, excitement and joy. I recall visiting with a pastor friend about the rapid growth of his church. He shunned taking credit for it based on his leadership or abilities and instead pointed to the fact that the congregation was functioning with a unique level of unity, he had never experienced.
I notice in the metaphors of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and the dew that falls from Hermon; a picture of the blessing of unity flowing from “top to bottom” from “high point to low.” I believe that is a good reminder that when the leadership of a church or organization is functioning in unity, it permeates the entire “organization.”
I recall listening to a former coach of the successful CSU football teams discuss some of the “glory days” of their success. He referred to a unique sense of unity among the coaches that impacted the players and facilitated the success of all their effort.
Truly unity is wonderful and pleasant. That is true for a football team, a church, a family, a nation. But it doesn’t come through human efforts or strategies. It comes from a focus on the One who reflects perfect unity and brings life forevermore.
Prayer for today… Lord, we see the chaos and harm that comes from division and conflict. That is not Your desire for our life. You alone are able to bring the unity that we desire and seek into all arenas of life. As we reflect on these words of Psalm 133, we are reminded of the unity around Your throne in heaven that we will all enjoy. Grant us glimpses of that as we pray, “let you kingdom come…one earth as it is in heaven…”