A song of ascents.
Author: Anonymous. Some suggest Hezekiah.
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
We continue on our journey, our ascent to the “mountain of the Lord”.
At first glance, this Psalm is full of assurance of God’s protection, of His presence and guidance. It is a psalm of faith and trust in God. Remember that this psalm was probably written and sung in the beginning of the journey of ascent where danger and peril still lie ahead of the pilgrims.
The psalmist needs help and where does he look? He lifts his eyes and looks at the journey ahead. It’s tough, it’s uphill, and he wonders “where does my help come from?”
That’s a rhetorical question - the rest of the Psalm answers it. Our help comes not just from any one or any god, but from THE Maker of heaven and earth, the Creator Himself.
When we are afraid, there are times we think God has left us or fallen asleep. Those feelings can be very real, but that’s not the truth.
Proverbs 3:26 says “For the Lord shall be your confidence, firm and strong, and shall keep your foot from being caught in a trap or some hidden danger.” Danger and difficulty may be ahead of us, but the Lord knows every step we take and He shall protect us from any hidden danger!
I love verse 5. What does “the LORD is your shade at your right hand” mean?
In the days of the Old Testament, when soldiers go to war, they carry their shield in their left hand and their sword on their right. When they fight, every front part of their body is protected by the shield except for their right hand. They are most dangerous when they use their sword, and also the most vulnerable.
In the Amplified Bible, verse 5 reads “The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand [the side not carrying a shield].”
Imagine yourself fighting a war. You have a shield in your left hand to protect yourself but need your right hand to wield the sword in attack. You can’t attack and protect yourself at the same time. The assurance is that God protects the parts we can’t protect! He covers all ground! There is nothing that is beyond His protection!
I don’t know about you, but the word “watch” used in verse 7 gives me the impression that it’s a passive word, almost like God is a spectator “watching” over my life and not doing anything about it. So I delved into the original word and found that this word “watch” used in this psalm is from the Hebrew word “shamar”, which means to preserve and protect – 2 words which need action! So God is not just watching over you like He’s watching a movie, but He’s actively preserving and protecting your life. Oh yes, He’s actively involved in everything about you because He loves you so so much.
I hope that by now you get the idea that God is absolutely trustworthy and 100% involved in protecting and guiding you. When we lift up our eyes from our current circumstances, whatever they may be, let’s be confident that our help does and will come from Him.
I wonder what your song will be when you face dangers, perils and difficulties in your life. Will you sing a psalm like this one, full of hope and trust in God’s protection? We have much to learn from this Psalm and its writer. Keep your eyes on Him.
Apply it:
Pray this Psalm over yourself or somebody you know who’s facing a difficult time. Declare the truth in every single sentence in faith and trust.
Praying for and believing in God's love for each of you...
luv,
jenn
Wednesday 21 March 2007
Sunday 11 March 2007
Psalm 120
Dear precious ones,
I was thinking of how much I love each of you and how wonderful it is seeing the amazing work of God in your life. And I was looking through the Psalms to find an appropriate expression of how I felt in the Scriptures, and my eyes rested on Psalm 121: a song of ascents.
As I read the Psalm, meditated on it and allowed it to edify myself, I discovered that this psalm is a series of “Pilgrim Psalms” or “Songs of Ascent” which were sung by those who journeyed (and thus “ascended”) to the temple for the annual feasts, and each psalm is a “step” in that journey.
I thought about how appropriate it is for us in this season, as we are all on a Godward journey heading towards His “temple”. It is a journey of worship.
For the next few months, let’s journey together as we “ascend His holy hill” to seek His face and stand in His presence. To help us keep on the same page, I’m going to write a devotion for each psalm (Psalms 120 – 134) every one to two weeks and email it out. I will also place these devotions on our ministry blog.
Let the journey begin…
Psalm 120 (NIV)
A song of ascents.
Author: Anonymous. Some suggest Hezekiah.
1 I call on the LORD in my distress,
and he answers me.
2 Save me, O LORD, from lying lips
and from deceitful tongues.
3 What will he do to you,
and what more besides, O deceitful tongue?
4 He will punish you with a warrior's sharp arrows,
with burning coals of the broom tree.
5 Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech,
that I live among the tents of Kedar!
6 Too long have I lived
among those who hate peace.
7 I am a man of peace;
but when I speak, they are for war.
It is interesting that the first of these “songs of ascent” begins on a somewhat depressing mood. The psalmist cries out to God in distress, asking Him to save him from liars and accusers. The background is that the pilgrims who are heading to the temple of the annual feasts usually begin their journeys in hostile surroundings. Meshech and Kedar were nations known to be warlike and barbaric. The psalmist was likening his journey to being in hostile lands like Meshech and Kedar.
The very word “ascent” means to climb, to get from a lower place to a higher place. It is against gravity, so it’s definitely harder than going down. When we begin to journey towards God, it is usually from a place where it is hostile and against God. Sometimes it is our circumstances which are difficult. Some of us face family objections. Sometimes, we are our greatest obstacles!
As we journey towards God, it is an ascent. It is not natural in our human condition, much like climbing mountains go against gravity (if you climbed a mountain before, you’ll know what I mean). Are you struggling with taking the first step towards God in your circumstance? Know that it will be an uphill climb and it will go against your flesh. But cry out to God because He will answer you.
Words are often the most powerful weapons used against us. Notice that the psalmist appeals to God to deliver him from “lying lips” and “deceitful tongues” in verses 2 to 4. Have you been discouraged by negative people who shoot arrows at you through their words, especially when you’re working hard at journeying towards God? As you embark on your journey towards God, watch out for discouragers and accusers who will seek to bring you down through their words. Satan is known as the accuser of the brethren and his weapons are lies and accusations that contradict who you are in God.
Lastly, we look at verses 6 and 7, where the psalmist expresses frustration about dwelling among people who hate peace. As we journey towards God, we will encounter people who will walk in opposite spirits from us. How will we respond to those who don’t want peace but seek strife and unrest? Remember Matthew 5:9 – “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” What a privilege to be bringers of peace and identified as children of God!
Apply this psalm to your journey:
1. What do you struggle with in your journey towards God?
2. Have you been discouraged by negative people through their words?
3. How can you be a peacemaker when you encounter people who hate peace?
Enjoy the week and walk in the knowledge of His love for you. Find a way to bless someone out of their socks!
Love,
jenn
I was thinking of how much I love each of you and how wonderful it is seeing the amazing work of God in your life. And I was looking through the Psalms to find an appropriate expression of how I felt in the Scriptures, and my eyes rested on Psalm 121: a song of ascents.
As I read the Psalm, meditated on it and allowed it to edify myself, I discovered that this psalm is a series of “Pilgrim Psalms” or “Songs of Ascent” which were sung by those who journeyed (and thus “ascended”) to the temple for the annual feasts, and each psalm is a “step” in that journey.
I thought about how appropriate it is for us in this season, as we are all on a Godward journey heading towards His “temple”. It is a journey of worship.
For the next few months, let’s journey together as we “ascend His holy hill” to seek His face and stand in His presence. To help us keep on the same page, I’m going to write a devotion for each psalm (Psalms 120 – 134) every one to two weeks and email it out. I will also place these devotions on our ministry blog.
Let the journey begin…
Psalm 120 (NIV)
A song of ascents.
Author: Anonymous. Some suggest Hezekiah.
1 I call on the LORD in my distress,
and he answers me.
2 Save me, O LORD, from lying lips
and from deceitful tongues.
3 What will he do to you,
and what more besides, O deceitful tongue?
4 He will punish you with a warrior's sharp arrows,
with burning coals of the broom tree.
5 Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech,
that I live among the tents of Kedar!
6 Too long have I lived
among those who hate peace.
7 I am a man of peace;
but when I speak, they are for war.
It is interesting that the first of these “songs of ascent” begins on a somewhat depressing mood. The psalmist cries out to God in distress, asking Him to save him from liars and accusers. The background is that the pilgrims who are heading to the temple of the annual feasts usually begin their journeys in hostile surroundings. Meshech and Kedar were nations known to be warlike and barbaric. The psalmist was likening his journey to being in hostile lands like Meshech and Kedar.
The very word “ascent” means to climb, to get from a lower place to a higher place. It is against gravity, so it’s definitely harder than going down. When we begin to journey towards God, it is usually from a place where it is hostile and against God. Sometimes it is our circumstances which are difficult. Some of us face family objections. Sometimes, we are our greatest obstacles!
As we journey towards God, it is an ascent. It is not natural in our human condition, much like climbing mountains go against gravity (if you climbed a mountain before, you’ll know what I mean). Are you struggling with taking the first step towards God in your circumstance? Know that it will be an uphill climb and it will go against your flesh. But cry out to God because He will answer you.
Words are often the most powerful weapons used against us. Notice that the psalmist appeals to God to deliver him from “lying lips” and “deceitful tongues” in verses 2 to 4. Have you been discouraged by negative people who shoot arrows at you through their words, especially when you’re working hard at journeying towards God? As you embark on your journey towards God, watch out for discouragers and accusers who will seek to bring you down through their words. Satan is known as the accuser of the brethren and his weapons are lies and accusations that contradict who you are in God.
Lastly, we look at verses 6 and 7, where the psalmist expresses frustration about dwelling among people who hate peace. As we journey towards God, we will encounter people who will walk in opposite spirits from us. How will we respond to those who don’t want peace but seek strife and unrest? Remember Matthew 5:9 – “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” What a privilege to be bringers of peace and identified as children of God!
Apply this psalm to your journey:
1. What do you struggle with in your journey towards God?
2. Have you been discouraged by negative people through their words?
3. How can you be a peacemaker when you encounter people who hate peace?
Enjoy the week and walk in the knowledge of His love for you. Find a way to bless someone out of their socks!
Love,
jenn
Saturday 10 March 2007
HOW TIGHT DO YOU WANT IT TO BE??
Dear all,
Just something for you all to think about. Broke down in His presence this morning and He taught me something so true. How tight do you all wish for God to hug you? Imagine you hug a person.If it is just a side hug, there is still space right? But when it is A BIG WARM SQUEEZE, the person has no room left cause he or she is being embraced fully by you. That is what Daddy wishes to do to us. Give us tight warm squeezes. BUT, if we want it, it means there will be no room left for our agendas, but to submit all to Him and let Him take over. The tigher He squeezes and hugs us, the less space there is for our own agendas. His will be done in all our lives. AMEN!
Lord, may we are long for Your tight embrace and be ready to say, let Your will be done, not ours. Amen!
In His love,
Chris
Just something for you all to think about. Broke down in His presence this morning and He taught me something so true. How tight do you all wish for God to hug you? Imagine you hug a person.If it is just a side hug, there is still space right? But when it is A BIG WARM SQUEEZE, the person has no room left cause he or she is being embraced fully by you. That is what Daddy wishes to do to us. Give us tight warm squeezes. BUT, if we want it, it means there will be no room left for our agendas, but to submit all to Him and let Him take over. The tigher He squeezes and hugs us, the less space there is for our own agendas. His will be done in all our lives. AMEN!
Lord, may we are long for Your tight embrace and be ready to say, let Your will be done, not ours. Amen!
In His love,
Chris
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