Happy Trails - Psalm 133

 

Today we are finishing up our look at the Psalms of Ascent and while we have looked at only 4 of them, I want to encourage you to take some time to read all of them.  They are wonderful psalms that can strengthen our faith and help us to be more faithful in our own faith journey.  Today we are going to end with a psalm that addresses a very timely issue in our nation, unity.  The psalm is going to be read by some of our youth who were at Impact.  For them to get to the place of worship at the camp, they have to climb a hill, so on their ascent they are sharing with us Psalm 133.  Video

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!  Psalm 133:1

In light of the shooting 2 weeks ago in Butler County, there has been a lot of talk about unity.  Sometimes we think unity means that we all have to believe the same thing, think the same way, do the same things and be exactly alike, but that’s  not true.  Unity doesn’t mean uniformity in all things, it means learning to live together in peace. 

Believe it or not, democrats and republicans can be unified.  Progressives and conservatives can live in unity.  Unity doesn’t mean we all have to think alike and have the same answers to life’s problems, it does mean we have to love one another despite our differences and work together for the wellbeing of others.  Unity means lifting others up instead of tearing them down.  It means that in many areas of our nation and world there is more than 1 way to solve a problem and while we disagree we can respect those political, economic and social differences.  

Unity has always been important to God.  The book of proverbs tells us that God loves unity because He hates division.    

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.  Proverbs 6:16-19

Stirring up conflict in a community creates division.  Devising wicked schemes and lying to others creates division.  A prideful attitude creates division.  Seeking evil that destroys others creates division.  The thing God hates most is when we create division, so the one thing God must love the most and long for is unity.  

In the New Testament, we also hear that unity among God’s people  is a goal.  

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  Colossians 3:12-14

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;  one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.  Ephesians 4:3-6

There is one God in 3 persons and while each person of the trinity is unique and different, they are still 1.  Unity is who God is and so unity is important among God’s people.  We who are many should learn to be 1 and we can be 1 if we focus on being one in Christ.  

And one of Jesus' final prayers was for unity among His followers.

I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.  John 17:11

Being one in Christ doesn’t mean we all have to think the same way, vote the same way, live the same way and have the same gifts, it means we learn to come together with all the unique gifts and graces and differences that God has given us so that we can show the world the love and power and truth of God.  

When we are not one, our witness of God’s love is harmed. .  When in pride we stand against our brothers and sisters instead of standing with them in compassion, God’s witness is weakened.  While the Bible does give us some guidance on how to live and order our life in this world, even in the areas we struggle to agree shouldn’t cause us to live apart.  We have to find ways to remain united.  

The Psalms of Ascent were read and sung as people gathered in Jerusalem from all over tIsrael.  As they came together, there would have been many differences.  They would have bought different offerings, spoken different languages and had different accents.  They came with different money, different forms of dress, and different traditions for their family, and yet they were coming as one to worship God.  I’m sure it wasn’t easy to be unified, which is why as they traveled to Jerusalem they were reminded how good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.  As they made their way to Jerusalem they were told to strive for unity.  

We also have to strive for unity and there are 3 things that can help us build unity.  The first is Humility.  

There is no unity without humility.  If we are only looking out for our own interests, wanting our own way, or pridefully promoting our own agenda at the expense of others - there is no unity.  We have to set aside our pride and self-centeredness so that others can be lifted up.  We need to remember that every part of the human body is different and yet needed.  We are also all different and yet we are all needed. To build unity we have to  respect and love others.  In Philippians 2:2-4 we are told 

Have the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

The second thing that builds unity is Trust.  

To be united we have to be able to trust others and for trust to develop there has to be honesty, vulnerability and transparency.  To trust others we have to be willing to own up to our mistakes and take responsibility for our own actions.  Maybe this is why we don’t have a lot of unity in our political world today, there is no trust.  

No political leader wants to own up to their mistake.  No business leader wants to be vulnerable.  Most leaders don’t want to own up to their mistake.  To say we made a mistake is seen as a sign of weakness and we think weakness will destroy our position.  What’s sad is that most people are actually looking for leaders who will be honest and tell the truth and if they did that, they would be trusted more and more likely to be successful.  

The third thing needed for unity is Dogged Determination

Unity does not come easily, it takes determination, and not just determination but dogged determination.  It takes tenacity.  It takes grit and perseverance.  It takes sticking with people for better or worse and til death do us part.  Unity doesn’t just happen and it doesn’t happen overnight.  It takes time to build trust and it takes time to learn how to live together and work together despite all our differences.  It takes time for humility to truly shape us and help us love others with a love that will last.  

Maybe this is another reason why unity never seems to take hold in our country, we give up too easily and aren’t willing to put in the effort.  It is not easy to stick together when things get difficult, whether that is in a marriage, at a job, on a team, or in our political world.  If things don’t go our way it is just easier to quit, but if we quit, if we walk away, we remain divided.  

Unity is not easy, but if we humble ourselves, build trust among one another and never give up - we will experience unity and with unity comes three tremendous blessings.  

The first blessing is that Life gets good.

How good and pleasant it is when we are one.  Life gets good because when we are unified, our relationships with others are strong and healthy.  We were created for relationships.  When God looked at Adam alone in the garden He said, that isn’t good.  Adam needed others, he needed relationships, so God created Eve and then a family and then a community began.  When a family and community are united - it is good, extremely good.  When that family or community is not divided, when people are cutting one another down, pushing for their own agenda, and demanding their own way, life can get really bad. 

For me, one of the great blessings of Faith Church is that there has always been and remains today a remarkable sense of unity.  There is humility and trust and a determination to stay together for the glory of God.  Because of that, there is joy we experience in worship, small groups, ministry teams and in outreach and mission.  It’s great to see people enjoy being together and when we come with a humble spirit to work together - there is great joy.  

There was great joy when we united for VBS.  There will be great joy when we unite for BOB.  If you want to experience and celebrate some joy - sign up to help and build relationships with others and together serve God and our community.  There is joy when we come together to learn and pray and support our brothers and sisters in other places - like Ukraine.  There is joy in small groups, working with children, serving those in need.  When our circle of friends grows, there is joy.  When we know we aren’t alone and people are there to love and support us, there is joy.  

It is good and pleasant when we are united.  We see it in our families, we can experience it at work, on teams, and in the church.  When we are united - life is just better.  

When we are united, Teams become more vital.  

The Olympics started this past week and if there is no unity on a team, there will be no gold medal.  

In basketball, volleyball, rowing, and table tennis, if there is unity there can be success.  I am amazed at things like synchronized diving where there has to be complete unity for there to be any chance of a medal.  I have no idea how they train in synchronized diving, but you must have to watch what the other is doing while keeping an eye on what you are doing and adjusting all along the way.  You have to trust your teammates to do their job and have your back.  There is a lot of dogged determination in preparing for the Olympics, but when they are truly united - teams are vital and successful.  If one person on the team is filled with pride or can’t trust their teammates, things fall apart.  Unity builds vital teams that lead to success.

We hear this alluded to in Psalm 133:2  It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe.  

Oil was poured on the head of Aaron to anoint him for the work God had for him.  The oil set him aside as a servant of God and it was a sign of God’s blessing on the work they would do.  But Aaron couldn’t do it alone, he had to have others.  When there is unity among God’s people there are opportunities for us to serve God and fulfill God’s mission.  There is a blessing.  

When there is unity in the church, we can do more to build the Kingdom of God and find new ways to share God’s love and grace and power with those around us.  When there is unity, we can be a blessing to those in need.  When churches come together in a mission or ministry - great things happen.  

We are blessed to have Ruslan and Archie with us from Raising Hope Ukraine and their ministry is a great example of this.  As God drew more people to them and a unified vision and plan developed, they have been able to do amazing things.  They have been able to be a light and beacon of hope in a nation that still grapples with war.  Unity helps us be more vital in all the work God has for us.  

The third thing unity brings is the Strength to carry on.  

It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.

For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.  Psalm 133:3  

In our May sermon series on Simon Peter, we learned a little bit about Mt. Hermon.  It is north of the Sea of Galilee, and it has snow on it all year round.  The snowmelt from the mountain and the dew that falls at that elevation is caught up in the streams that flow from the mountain and provides water for the entire Jezreel Valley which is lush and fruitful and provides food for all of God’s people.  

Unity is like that dew that can sustain a valley and provide food and life. When we are unified, we don’t dry up, wither and die.  Unity gives us strength from one another and helps us find the power to keep going.  On our own, we will get tired and fall.  Divided, we will run out of resources, but when we are united, we can carry on.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:  If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.  A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12

When we are united, we can carry on through all adversity.  If we fall, we will be able to get back up.  If we are cold, we can get warm.  If we are attacked, we can defend ourselves.  Unity brings longevity, it brings God’s blessing to life not just for us now, but forever more.  

In our divided world, we can show a better way.  Let’s build unity through humility, trust and dogged determination.  Let’s work together in all the opportunities God gives us so that we can experience the blessing of life now and forever. 

Next Steps

Happy Trails - Psalm 133

Read Psalm 133.  Why is unity so important to God?

Reflect on these scriptures:  Proverbs 6:16-19, 

Colossians 3:12-14, Ephesians 4:3-6, John 17:11

Three things that BUILD unity.

Humility 

Read: Philippians 2

Why is humility necessary for unity?  Where can your humility bring about unity at home, at work, in school, on teams, at church?

Trust

Why is trust necessary for unity? When have you seen trust lead to unity and the breakdown of trust lead to division?  

How can you become more trustworthy and help build unity?

Dogged Determination

Why is determination and perseverance necessary for unity? 

Where do you need to stick it out and keep going in life?

Three BLESSINGS of unity.

Life gets good - Read Psalm 133:1

When has unity at home or at work been a blessing to you?  

Teams get vital - Psalm 133:2.  

What teams are you part of that need to be unified?  What can you do to help bring about that unity?  What opportunities for mission and ministry come when the church is unified?

Strength to carry on - Psalm 133:3

How does unity refresh and strengthen us?  

Read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Read all the Psalms of Ascent:  Psalm 120 - 13

Happy Trails - Psalm 130

 

We had a great week with VBS with all the children and while we never heard it during the week, one of the things we often hear kids say is, that’s not fair. Children learn early on how to evaluate the size of cookies, the amount of ice cream in a dish, or how many pieces of candy they get compared to their siblings and if they don’t get the same amount they are quick to say, that’s not fair.  Being the youngest in the family is especially hard because it didn’t seem fair that my sisters got to stay up later than I did.  One of my sisters was very skilled at asking what time it was when it was time for me to go to bed.  My mom would say, oh it’s 7:30, Andy time for you to go to bed.  I’m sure I wore out the phrase, that’s not fair.  On family trips I’m sure the phrase gets used often.  It’s not fair she gets to sit up front, or by the window, or pick the music.  

It’s hard to teach children that sometimes life isn’t fair, but let’s be honest, as adults, we struggle with the same thoughts on fairness.  How many times have you sat in a restaurant and seen someone who was seated after you got served before you and think, that’s not fair.  Or you're standing in line at a store, and someone is served before you even though you had clearly been standing there longer. Or you hear about someone getting a better deal on a car or a better interest rate when your credit scores are the same.  We also are quick to say, that’s not fair.     

If you have worked with children and youth in sports or in school, you hear, that’s not fair often.  It’s not fair that some children get to play more minutes than others.  Or that some don’t get to play at all.  Or that some students get chosen for everything in school while others get chosen for nothing.  Or if your grade point average is just a few hundreds of a point from making the honor society and you are excluded.  Come on, that’s just not fair.  

Sometimes the issue of fairness goes much deeper and can be difficult and painful.  It’s not fair that some children get sick, and others don’t.  The randomness of cancer is not fair.  It’s not fair that the driver of a car who caused a fatal accident walked away when others didn't.  It’s not fair that some people are able to have children effortlessly while others struggle with infertility.  It’s not fair that some people get all the financial breaks while others are always struggling.  

We often long for fairness in this world but we know that many times life isn’t fair.  At least three times a year, the people of Israel would have made their way to Jerusalem for religious festivals and times of worship, and they too would have been struggling with this idea of fairness.  As people gathered from all over the region, some would have been doing well in life while others would be experiencing tragedy.  Life wasn’t fair.  Some would have had a great harvest while others may have lost everything due to drought and disease.  Some would have been blessed with children, some would still be waiting for children, and some would have given up hope of ever having them.  Life wasn’t fair.  

One of the Psalms of Ascent, Psalm 130, reminds us that while life isn’t always fair, at times that can be a good thing. Psalm 130 video

Psalm 130 is 1 of only 7 penitential psalms in the Bible and the only penitential psalm in the collection of psalms known as the Psalms of Ascent.  A penitential psalm expresses sorrow for either the consequences of sin or for the tragedy and struggles that come with life.  The psalm begins,  Psalm 130:1-2

Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice.

Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.

The author is literally feeling like they are in the pit of despair.  We don’t know here if they are in despair because of the unfairness of life and the trials and tragedies that happen to all of us at times, or if they are in despair because of the consequences of their actions.  The next verse, however, leads us to think that their despair was because of their sin.  If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? Psalm 130:3a

This is where we begin to see that the unfairness in life can be a good thing because if God kept a record of our sin and held us accountable for our sin, we would not be able to stand, but God doesn’t hold our sin against us. What would be fair would be God holding our sin against us, but with God there is grace and mercy and love. In this case, because life isn’t fair, in our despair and in our sin we know that:

God listens to us

God forgives us

God heals us

God redeems us.  

Out of the pit of despair, the psalmist cries out to God and even though they were in the pit because of their own failure or bad choices, they could still cry out to God and trust that God would listen.  All those times we don’t listen to God and end up in a mess, God is still willing to listen to us.  

If life was fair, God would say, look, I told you not to do that.  I gave you clear direction in my word, I gave you guidance through other people, I impressed on your heart not to do those things and you did them anyway - why should I listen to you now?   If life was fair God wouldn’t listen to us when we cry out to Him in the depth of our sin and despair, but life isn’t fair and that’s a good thing.  God does listen and God’s compassion is there to help us.  

Since we are underwater today, let’s think about the story of Jonah.  Jonah was called by God to go to Nineveh, a large and wicked city, to tell the people to repent and turn to God.  Jonah didn’t want to go there so he literally started to go in the other direction.  He got on a boat and headed toward the other end of the world.  

During their voyage, God sent a storm to stop Jonah’s progress and in the midst of the storm, the sailors got together and decided that the storm was a sign that someone was in trouble. Finally, Jonah told them that he was running from his God and that to save their ship and their lives they needed to throw him overboard.  

As a last resort, they did just that and as Jonah was sinking into the sea, he was swallowed by a big fish sent from God.  Jonah didn’t deserve to be saved, but he was and from inside the fish, Jonah said, 

I called to the Lord out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.  Jonah 2:2

Once again, Jonah didn’t deserve any kind of help from God because he had chosen to run away.  Jonah didn’t want to follow God’s will and he didn’t care about the people of Nineveh but God rescued Jonah when he was tossed into the sea and then God listened to Jonah when he cried out from inside the fish.   

We don’t always deserve God’s mercy and grace, and when we make a mess of our lives, we don’t deserve God turning his ear to listen to us, but he dies.  When we are in need and cry out to God, God hears us.  When I first went to college, I wanted to remake myself into someone who was a little more outgoing and fun.  I didn’t want to be the good church kid anymore so I actually prayed, God put me on a party floor.  

I got exactly what I prayed for and God could have just left it at that.  That would have been the fair thing to do, after all, it was what I asked for, but God heard another cry, a deeper cry of my heart, and God showed me another way to live.  God provided Christian people to come and walk alongside me and love me into a deeper relationship with Jesus.  I am so glad that there are times God is not fair and doesn’t give us what we deserve.  

God listens to our cry and God forgives our sin.  Psalm 130:4

But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

God forgives us when we don’t deserve it.  We can't stand before God in our own goodness and righteousness.  There is no one who is perfect, the Bible says, not one.  On our own we only deserve to be punished for our sin, but we aren’t punished because we aren’t on our own before God.  Jesus stands with us.  He intercedes for us and because of Christ with us, God extends His grace and mercy to us.  We don’t deserve it and we don’t earn it, but with God there is forgiveness.  

God’s forgiveness doesn’t mean we are always lifted out of the consequences of our sin, there are times we have to endure the painful times or work through the mess we have created, but the mess and our sin doesn’t separate us from God forever.  We can all be grateful that God isn’t fair when it comes to our sin and that God is willing to forgive.  God’s mercy toward us should make us more willing to extend mercy to others

God’s forgiveness should lead us to forgive others, but the truth is that when we have been hurt, we are more interested in fairness than mercy.  When we have been hurt, we look for people to make things right with us before we offer any kind of grace to them.  We need to turn this around.  As God freely forgives us - we should freely forgive others.  At times this doesn’t seem fair or right, but it is Christlike and part of what it means to follow Jesus.  

 With God’s forgiveness and grace comes healing.  It may not come in an instant, but it comes.  Psalm 130:5-6

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.  I wait for the Lord, more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.

While God extends grace and mercy, and His forgiveness leads to new life, we know that this new life doesn’t always come at once.  The gift of healing can be a process.  Like the psalmist says, there are times we have to wait for God to heal and transform us but we wait with conviction and assurance that this new life is coming. 

Twice the psalmist says that they wait for this hope of  new life more than the watchman waits for the morning.  Those who watch for the morning are never disappointed.  It always comes.  There is always a new day and just as the new day comes so will God’s healing and new life come.  Depending on our circumstances we might have to wait a long time, or work through the consequences of our sin or the trials of our situation, but healing and new life comes.  With God new life always comes.  

As we wait, we also find assurance and strength in God’s world.  In his word I put my hope.  Reading God’s word brings hope.  Hearing God’s word brings hope.  Learning, studying, and meditating on God’s word, and singing it, like the people did on the way to Jerusalem, brings hope.  These psalms were part of God’s word that gave people hope as they made their journey to Jerusalem.  These same words give us hope today.  It can be a difficult journey but in God’s word we always find hope.  

And finally, our hope and assurance is that God will redeem us.  Psalm 130:7-8

Israel, put your hope in the Lord, 

for with the Lord is unfailing love 

and with him is full redemption.

He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

There is full redemption with God.  He will not only forgive us and heal us but He will redeem us.  Redemption means that we get another chance to make things right and live for God.  

Jonah was given another chance.  God spit Jonah out onto dry ground and when He did, Jonah was closer to Nineveh than when God first called him.  Jonah did make the trip to Nineveh and he did tell the people to repent and while his attitude wasn’t very good, Jonah did do what God asked him to do and the people turned toward God.  Jonah was given a second chance and the people were given a second chance.  

We are also given another chance at life and faith when we are willing to cry out to God, seek forgiveness and healing, and then allow the unfailing love of God to fill us.  When we turn to God, God is always willing to turn to us and offer new life.  For the people heading to Jerusalem to worship God, this psalm reminded them that while they didn’t deserve God’s grace and mercy, it was there for them.  It was always there for them.    

No matter who you are today, no matter what you might be going through, no matter how much of a mess you may have made in life, or how unfair life has been, God is there to listen.  God is there to forgive.  God is there to heal you and redeem you.  God is there to call you back and give you another chance at life and faith.  It isn’t fair that God does this because we have failed on so many levels, but this is where life not being fair is a good thing.   

Let me close by reminding us why we get what isn’t fair, it’s because Jesus also got what wasn’t fair.  Jesus was the perfect one, the spotless lamb of God, the fullness of God in the flesh, the one who was without sin and so deserved only life, but Jesus was willing to pay the price for our sin.  Jesus got what He didn’t deserve so that we wouldn’t get what we did deserve.  Jesus took on the penalty for our sin so that we could be forgiven, healed and redeemed.  For Jesus, life wasn’t fair.  He didn’t deserve the betrayal, arrest, beatings, and crucifixion.  He didn’t deserve what happened, but God is just, so the penalty of sin had to be paid and Jesus paid it once for all.  

Because Jesus paid the price, the justice of God was met so the mercy of God could be extended. God doesn’t give us what we deserve. Instead, we get grace, we get mercy, we get love, we are forgiven, we are redeemed, and we are given another chance at life and faith.  

With the Lord there is unfailing love and full redemption.  Thank God we don’t get what we deserve, and that life isn’t always fair.  That is a gift to us all.  

Next Steps

Happy Trails - Psalm 130

When have you personally experienced that life isn’t fair?  

Read Psalm 130.  

If God was fair, what would be the outcome of our lives?

How can the unfairness of life with God be a good thing?

Because life isn’t fair:  

God listens to us

● When have you cried out to God in times of trouble and found that God was right there to listen?

● When have you cried out to God in the midst of sin and found that God was still there to listen?

● Cry out to God today no matter what your circumstance might be.

God forgives us

● Where is God’s forgiveness needed in your life?  

○ Ask God for His grace and mercy.  

● God’s forgiveness needs to lead us to forgive others.  

○ Who are those that you need to forgive today?  

○ What does that forgiveness look like?  

God heals us

● Where is physical, emotional or spiritual healing needed in your life?  

● How certain are you that God will heal you?  Are you as certain as those who watch for the morning?  

● How can God’s word give you confidence and assurance as you wait?  

● What scriptures tell you that God will heal you?  Continue to read the Psalms of Ascent.

God redeems us

● Where is another chance needed in your life? 

● How can you give God another chance to work in your life? 

● What do you need to do today to make the most of the new opportunity God is giving you?  

Happy Trails - Psalm 121

 

When I was a kid, we would visit my grandparents in TN about once a year.  It was about a 12 hour car ride and my sisters and I never got to pick the music that was played.  The playlist was always my parents.  What I remember listening to was the soundtrack from Man of La Mancha and Camelot.  What I also remember was that they were on 8 tracks so they would just keep playing until you popped out the cartridge.  

In high school my friends and I started making our own playlists of favorite songs and we put them on a cassette tape, but life got much easier when we could burn songs onto a cd.  In college, before we went on any kind of road trip, it was a must to gather all the cassettes or CD’s we wanted to take along.  No trip was complete without a good playlist.  Now all you have to do if you want a good playlist is go to spotify and put in a favorite song, artist or theme and you have more music than you can imagine.  Times have changed and technology has changed, but wanting a good playlist when you go on a trip remains the same.  

Believe it or not, playlists are not a creation of the 20th century, they date back thousands of years to the time of King David and his son Solomon.  What just might be the original playlist for a road trip is a group of psalms called the Psalms of Ascent, Psalms 121-134.  These were the psalms sung by the people of Israel on their annual trips to Jerusalem.  

Each year, faithful Jews were to make 3 trips to Jerusalem. In the spring, they were to go for the celebration of Passover.  50 days later they went for the celebration of Pentecost, and then in the fall, after the harvest, they went for the feast of Tabernacles.  Because Jerusalem sits on the top of what was known as Mt. Zion, at an elevation of 2,800 ft above sea level, no matter where you were coming from in all of Israel, you had to climb the mountain to get to the city.  This group of psalms became known as the psalms of ascent because it was the songbook, or playlist, used by God’s people on their trips to Jerusalem.  

These psalms not only kept the people motivated on their long journey, but they prepared the people for what would take place once they got there.  Each celebration or festival was a holy moment to remember what God had done for them in the past and how God was continuing to provide for them each and every day.  The psalms not only helped them pass the time but they prepared people’s hearts and minds for worship.  

This month, we are going to look at 4 of these psalms and since they were originally read or sung along a road leading up a mountain, we thought it would be appropriate to hear them read along a trail or heading up one of our local mountains.  I want to thank all those who were willing to take part in doing our readings and our tech team for putting these videos together.  It’s fun to be able to hear God’s word read as it was originally intended.  Today our journey begins with the first of the Psalms, Psalm 121  (Video)

The psalm is 8 verses long and broken into 4 sections.  The first section is appropriate for a long journey to Jerusalem because there would have been times along the way that the people would have gotten tired and weary and looked to the hills where they were going and literally said, I lift up my eyes to the mountains - where does my help come from?

On this long and strenuous journey, where would they get help?  When they were hot and tired and didn’t want to keep going, where would they get strength?  I have hiked many trails and mountains and at times gotten tired, looked at how far I still had to go and asked the same thing.  Where will my help come from?  

For some of those going to Jerusalem each year, this question might have been much more profound.  Maybe they had experienced some kind of loss during the year and were still feeling emptiness and grief.  Maybe they were making the trip without a loved one and the pain of traveling alone was very real - where would their help come from?  

Maybe they were sick or had gotten injured along the way, maybe they had fallen victim to some bandits along the road and had lost all their money - where would their help come from?  

If they went up for the feast of weeks in the fall knowing that their harvest was poor due to drought or disease and they were worried about feeding their family through the winter, they would be asking themselves- where will my help come from?  

No matter what help or strength a person might be looking for in life, looking to the hills would have been a natural part of the journey and they would have been asking the question, the psalm goes on and answers this question:  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

It’s true, our strength isn’t found in the mountains but from the one who made the mountains, but for those making their way to Jerusalem generations ago, there was something else this statement meant.  Scattered all through the hills in Israel were altars, shrines and temples set up to worship false gods and idols.  While Israel was told to look to God alone for help, the people struggled to do this.  They always seemed to turn away from God and seek the help and strength of foreign gods.  

Most troubling of all these gods and idols was the worship of Baal and Asherah.  These foreign gods were thought to increase fertility and bring a good harvest.  They helped bring rain and increase crops and bring children, which was a blessing.  If people were in need, they often consulted and worshiped these two gods.  So as the people of Israel made their way to Jerusalem, and looked to the mountains for help, they would have also been looking at shrines and temples to other gods.  Would the people of Israel, tired and in need, look to Baal or Asherah for help, or would they look to the God of Israel. The psalm reminded them to look to God alone.

The question for us is where we will look for help in times of need.  When we are weak, tired, frustrated and needing support, where will we turn for help?  Will we turn to God or like the people of Israel, will we be tempted to turn to the false gods of the world.  While none of us would turn to Baal or Asherah, or idols and statues looking for help, the truth is that we often turn to things in this world other than God for help and strength.  

Have you ever walked through the self-help section of a bookstore?  It’s filled with books that tell us to look to anything and everything but God to find help and strength.  One of the best-selling self-help books today is called, The Mountain is You: Transforming self-sabotage into self-mastery.  

I thought it was an interesting title because it seems to tell us to look deep within ourselves to bring about change and transformation instead of looking to God.  We don’t look to the one who made the mountains for help, we are the mountain and need to change ourselves.  Now I’m not saying that self-help books aren’t valuable, and maybe this one is, but the deeper question we need to ask is where do we ultimately look for help?  Do we look deep within ourselves and summon up the will to change?  Do we look to the world for help and strength, do we look to other gods or do we look to the One and Only God who made the heavens and the earth?   

The people going to Jerusalem were reminded to turn to God first and the rest of the psalm told them just who their God was and what their God would do for them.  The psalm identifies 3 things the Lord will do for us.  

God will guide us.

God will shelter us.

God will keep us forever.

1. God will guide us.  Psalm 121:3-4

He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

When we turn to God for help and strength, He will be the one who will guide us every step of the way.  We may not be able to see the outcome, or what is around the next turn, but God will guide us.  One of the more interesting places I have hiked was in Acadia NP in Maine.  The top of many of the mountains are all rock so the trails are difficult to make out.  There aren’t pathways through the woods marked with blazes on trees, instead there are cairns, or a small pile of rocks, that guide you along the way.  In Acadia they have a special cairn called a Bates Cairn.  (pic)

On one hike, when I got to the top of the mountain I was in a cloud and couldn’t see very far.  It made following the trail difficult.  I couldn’t see off into the distance, I could only see the next cairn, so I would walk that far and then stop and look for the next one.  Step by step I made my way along the trail and sometimes that’s what walking with God is like.  We don’t see the end, we just see the next step, but God will guide us.  He will not let our foot be moved.

God can guide us through His word, through prayer, through advice from faithful and trusted friends, and through songs and worship.  The Psalms of Ascent themselves gave guidance to God’s people as they made their way to Jerusalem.  The psalms reminded them where to turn and who to trust.  They also told people they could find rest because God was always with them.  

Because God never slumbers nor sleeps, we can.    Psalm 121:3-4.

He who keeps you will not slumber.  He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

Think about it, for people making their way to Jerusalem, traveling at night would have been difficult. If you slept at night you were vulnerable to wild animals or robbers.  Sleep would have been dangerous, but because God never sleeps, they could.  We can make our journey through life with strength and assurance because God will not only guide us but He will give us rest along the way.  God is always with us.  

2. God will shelter us.  Psalm 121:5-6

The Lord watches over you—

the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

he sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

Shade during a long hot journey is a wonderful thing.  Out in the open on a long hot trail, it can literally mean the difference between life and death.  When life gets difficult and stressful and things heat up, God is also the one who gives us shelter and shade.  Just when we think we can’t go any further, just when we are ready to give up, God gives us shade so we can find the strength to keep going.  

Shade from the moon is also important at night.  If the moon is shining on you at night, it means it is clear and that means it can be cold - bitter cold.  If the moon doesn’t strike us at night, then there is cloud cover, there is shade, shelter.  Through blazing heat or bitter cold, God is our shade.  When things get so bad that we don’t think we can keep going, God is our shelter and strength.  God protects us on all sides and keeps us safe.  The Apostle Paul said it this way, we are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  2 Corinthians 4:8-9

3. God will keep us.  Psalm 121:7-8

The Lord will keep you from all harm

he will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.

It’s difficult to hear that God will keep us from all harm when we have been harmed or when we are feeling hurt or are in pain.  In those times, did God fail us?  Did we fail God?  Unfortunately there are harmful and difficult experiences we will face in life.  Every person heading to Jerusalem had experienced some kind of pain and hardship in life, but this was a reminder to them that God would always be there to help.  Even on their trips to Jerusalem, people were harmed by falls, attacks, and sickness, but this was a reminder that God was still there.  

We will face difficult times, challenging times, and painful times, and when we do, we can’t forget that God is with us.  That’s part of what Israel celebrated in Jerusalem 3 times a year.  At Passover they were reminded that God delivered them from the horrors of slavery.  At Pentecost and the feast of weeks they were reminded that God would provide them with food and all that was needed for life.  No matter what they were going through, God was with them and always would be with them.  God was watching over them and they could trust God to be there for them forever.  

Psalm 121 tells us that God is with us.  Today, tomorrow and always, God is with us.  Jesus said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.  God is with us morning, noon and night.  He will give us shade during the heat of the day and the cold of night.  He will keep us as we come in and go out.  God will be with us in green pastures and as we walk through the very shadows of death.  He is with us in the storms and helps us rise above and walk on water.  

We might feel forsaken and forgotten, we might truly be hard pressed on every side, persecuted and feeling abandoned, but we will not be destroyed because God is with us.  In difficult times we need to keep our eyes lifted up beyond the hills to the One who created the hills, and the One who created us and loves us completely.  God will watch over us forever.   

This first psalm of ascent has always been, and remains today, a psalm of great hope and encouragement.  In life, we will get weary and tired, we will struggle and face challenges, we will get to the end of our rope, and we will look all around us for help and strength.  In those times, in all times, we need to remember that our help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.  God will guide us and protect us and keep us in His hands now and forever.  

 

Next Steps

Happy Trails - Psalm 121

Read Psalm 121

Verses 1-2

What help or strength are you looking for today?

Israel was tempted to turn to the false gods Baal and Asherah for help.  What things do you turn to in this world to find help and strength in times of need?  

Israel trusted God to be their guide, shelter, and keeper.  

Guide: Verses 3-4

How has God guided you in the past?  

What tools and resources has God used to guide you?  (Scripture, Prayer, Friends)

Where do you need God’s guidance in decisions right now?

Shelter: Verses 5-6

Where are you feeling stressed and in need of shade and rest?  

How can 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 be an encouragement?  

Keeper: Verses 7-8

What does it mean for God to keep you from all harm when you are going through difficult and painful situations?  

God can keep us strong if we will keep our eyes fixed on Him.  This week, read these Psalms of Ascent (Psalm 122 - 127) to help keep you in God’s care.