Tags
Hopewell Rocks, immovable, Mount Zion, mountains, peace, permanence, Psalms of Ascent, Songs of Ascent, steadfast, surrounded, the LORD, trust, trust in God
Reading: Psalm 125
A song of ascents.
Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds his people
both now and forevermore.
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.
LORD, do good to those who are good,
to those who are upright in heart.
But those who turn to crooked ways
the LORD will banish with the evildoers.
Peace be on Israel (NIV).
Reflection
If someone compared you to a mountain, would you take it as a compliment, or would you be offended? Your answer to that question may depend on your gender. I suspect very few women would like being compared to a mountain. Though I am a male, becoming a mountain of a man has never been one of my ambitions. Nevertheless, Psalm 125 begins by comparing those who trust in the LORD to Mount Zion. Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick — photo by David Kitz
This is the sixth psalm in the Songs of Ascent series, and clearly the psalmist is inspired by his surroundings. He beholds the beauty of Jerusalem, its citadels and the mountains around it. There is something reassuring about a mountain. Mountains have stood the test of time. They have endured when human endeavors have come and gone. In a world of transition, the mountains remain; they stand firm.
Are you like a mountain—solid and immovable? You ask—how can I be? Without the LORD, this is truly impossible. But the psalmist provides us with this assurance: As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.
We only have permanence because of the LORD. He has you surrounded. Are you going through hell and high water? He has you surrounded. Are you facing opposition? He has you surrounded. Is there trouble on every side? He has you surrounded. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.
Again this psalm reassures us that the LORD is on our side. He is working on our behalf. 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.
Response: Father God, I trust in you. I trust that you are working on my behalf. Help me to become steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58, NKJV). Amen.
Your Turn: Are you becoming steadfast? Do you have enduring faith?
Thank you David
God bless your week, Peter!
Reblogged this on Vanier House of Prayer.
Thanks for the reblog.
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
David, we can see the reflection of this Psalm in the New Testament. As we are in Christ, He is our mountain, our refuge. We find Him in all the Old Testament as well as the New, the promise of all of life to us, in us and through us. We are Filled with His Grace and Wrapped in His glory (blog post and book with this title). As a sister in Christ, I am not a mountain, don’t want to be a mountain, but I need a mountain; He is that mountain. Thank you for sharing your blessings with us. Have a blessed week. ~ Fran
Yes, Jesus is our mountain and our Refuge. Thanks for sharing your excellent thoughts, Fran.