Blessed are the holy
(NIV) Psalm 128
A song of ascents.
1 Blessed are all who fear the LORD,
who walk in obedience to him.
2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
4 Yes, this will be the blessing
for the man who fears the LORD.
5 May the LORD bless you from Zion;
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
6 May you live to see your children’s children—
peace be on Israel.
If we needed a reason to seek holiness, this chapter would be it. Fearing God is not trembling before our Creator. Nor is it praying as Job did, asking forgiveness for his children in the event they sinned. No, the fear of the Lord is recognizing His power and being in awe of Him. When we are face to face with the holiness of God, our only response should be to fall at His feet, not because we fear what He will do, but because His holiness reveals to us the extent of our sinfulness.
We are told that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. If someone were to ask me how to learn the fear of the Lord, I would not know how to respond. For me, the recognition of God as holy is as natural as breathing, and such recognition elicits one response—to fall on my knees and cry “Holy!”
This psalm assures us that recognizing Who God is leads to obedience which in turn leads to blessings. May we purpose each day to seek a deeper relationship with the One, true and living God.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Go With God
(NIV) Psalm 127
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
1 Unless the LORD builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain.
2 In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.
3 Children are a heritage from the LORD,
offspring a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their opponents in court.
This psalm, attributed to Solomon, teaches that we will not be successful if we attempt to live out lives apart from God. I have known people who, when building their house, wrote scripture on the exposed beams. As a pastor I have been asked more than once to bless a house shortly after a person took possession. Some may see such practice as superstition. For me it is an affirmation that is akin to Joshua instructing the Israelites to “choose you this day who you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Josh 24:15. Solomon knew whether he was pitching a tent or building a temple, none of his efforts would be successful without God.
He goes on to assert it is a blessing to have many children, for when you are old they will care for you. It may surprise some people to learn that children have not always been treasured. In agricultural societies children were put to work in the fields at a young age. My father, born shortly after the start of the 20th century, picked cotton when he was seven years old, living his life with only a second grade education.
In my parents’ generation, now known as The Greatest Generation, it was not uncommon to have up to ten children. There was a decided shift when Baby Boomers, born shortly after WWII, began families. As the first quarter of the 21st century is drawing to a close another shift has occurred. Young people are waiting longer to have children, or choosing not to have them at all. Solomon’s proclamation that having many children is a blessing has all but been forgotten.
I find comparing children to arrows to be an apt description. Once an arrow is sent out from the bow, it’s direction can no longer be changed. Thus the proverb “train up a child in the way he will go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” becomes a valuable piece of advice.
So what does this psalm mean to us today? To me, success in life is built upon a solid relationship, first with God, then with family. The English “good bye” is a contraction from “go with God,” so I end today’s devotional with a sincere “go with God.”
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Lord Has Done Great Things
(ESV) A SONG OF ASCENTS.
1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
3 The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad.
4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like streams in the Negeb!
5 Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
6 He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.
As the Pilgrims made their way to Jerusalem, they sang this psalm to commemorate the release of the Israelites from captivity in Babylon. They had learned that those who weep especially over their spiritual condition will ultimately shout with joy.
Think of those who suffered terribly during the Diaspora—some were never to see their homeland again, nor were they allowed to worship the One, True and the Living God. Many were separated from their families.
Some were part of the national tragedy of captivity and slavery, while others, such as Rebecca, Rachel, and Hannah suffered the very personal distress of being barren. These women each wanted a child so desperately they could not imagine ever smiling again. Yet, each woman was given her heart’s desire, but only after a season of weeping.
Although there were times it seemed impossible, God enabled the brokenhearted to know joy again, and with that knowledge came the awareness that along with restoration, we are given the opportunity to give glory to God.
Today, it is vital that we understand that happiness is tied to our circumstances, but responding to our situation with joy is a choice.
Just as God turned the weeping of the Israelites into joy, He can do the same for us. Remember what He has done in the past, be thankful for the present, and face tomorrow with confident expectation that He will give us not just what we want, but what we need.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Psalm 125
(NIV) Psalm 125
A song of ascents.
1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds his people
both now and forevermore.
3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain
over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
their hands to do evil.
4 LORD, do good to those who are good,
to those who are upright in heart.
5 But those who turn to crooked ways
the LORD will banish with the evildoers.
Peace be on Israel.
There is a steadfastness about this scripture where we find the enduring love of God is promised to those whose trust is in the Lord. The Lord is compared to the mountains surrounding Jerusalem, and just as they provide protection for that holy city, so does God.
How do modern day pilgrims apply this passage? When we place our trust in God, we have a confidence built upon that trust. I am reminded of Matt 7 and the house built on the rock versus one built on the sand. Just as a house built on rock provides a solid foundation, confidence placed on Jesus is never shifting. Sometimes we need that visual reminder of Who God is and who we are in Him.
May we cling to the Rock of our Salvation, Jesus Christ, today and forever.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
A SONG OF ASCENTS.
ESV Ps 123
1 To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us.
3 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.
4 Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease,
of the contempt of the proud.
As we continue to look at the Psalms of Ascent, we see the writer once again lift up his eyes as he prays for help. When we are young, we are taught the proper posture for prayer is to bow our heads and clasp our hands together. But the older I become, my prayer posture is to raise my face toward heaven in expectation, and lift my hands in praise and adoration.
And, I wonder as the psalmist wrote yet another plea for mercy, had he made the connection between action and outcome? Does everything we suffer come as a result of something we did? No, much of our suffering is due to the fallen state of man and the world in which we live.
So this morning I begin my day with praise for my God, and petition for His mercy.
For those who are young, and have not yet found their way, I pray for direction and wisdom. I pray the lessons teaching humility would be quick and gentle.
For those whose illness has been diagnosed, I pray for healing that would be swift and sure.
For those who are suffering from an undiagnosed condition, I pray that You would give the doctors a supernatural wisdom to be able to see beyond what is readily visible.
For those in emotional distress, I pray that You help them overcome disappointment to revel in the joy that comes not from watching their circumstances but from relying on the Creator of the heavens and the earth.
May we know that our strength, our hope, and our help is in You.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 