September 1, 2023 — Psalm 125

“Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, from this time on and forevermore. For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, so that the righteous might not stretch out their hands to do wrong. Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts. But those who turn aside to their own crooked ways the LORD will lead away with evildoers. Peace be upon Israel!”

“Those who trust in the LORD…abide forever.” We should notice by now that these Psalms, these Psalms of Ascent are psalms that build upon each other. That’s another reason why we can call them psalms of ascent. Psalm 125 takes the hills of Psalm 121 (I lift my eyes upon the hills) and the holy city of Psalm 122 (Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem) and combines them into a new image showing G-d’s people are as safe and secure as Mount Zion (Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion).

In the world in which we live we continue to see an escalation of violence against each other, an increase of evil, and the continual need for justice and hope to win the day. If we allow these issues like violence and injustice to grow unheeded they obviously will have dire consequences in the whole society. When those who live according to unrighteousness increase within our neighborhoods and cities, it has the effect of tempting the righteous to act accordingly.  It dilutes the moral and spiritual strength of everyone, especially the righteous.

In the U.S. we live in a time where corruption and dishonesty seem pervasive and they threaten the very foundation of our society and its institutions.  We would do well to listen to the Psalm’s prayer: Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts.

Let us Pray:

Almighty God, surround your people with your presence. Let your justice rule, that we may not put our hands to evil nor turn aside to crooked ways, but that we may stand fast in your word and pursue the ways of peace; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

Pastor Dave

August 30, 2023 – Psalm 123

“To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, until he has mercy upon us. Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt. Our soul has had more than its fill of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud.”

Psalm 123 is the fourth in these Psalms that are called the “songs of ascents” (Psalms 120–134). For the first time in these particular Psalms, the writer speaks directly to the Lord. When we hear the words “Have mercy on us…”, we realize this Psalm is a prayer — and the writer prays for help.

Have you been praying to the Lord for help lately? I tend to pray often for the Lord’s guidance, for the Lord’s direction, and for the Lord’s help. Everyone needs help at some point in their lives. We might need help in a relationship; we might need help deciding a direction for our work lives; we might pray for our children or grandchildren that they will receive the help they need when they are struggling. There is no shortage of situations that we might look to the Lord for help.

It is good for us to look to the Lord for many things, especially look to the Lord for help. We often spend too much time worrying and struggling to figure out situations on our own — when we should be learning to wait upon our Lord for that still, small voice of G-d looking to impart upon us G-d’s will and help. Never cease in praying – for prayer is effective and powerful.

Let us Pray:

O God, our creator and redeemer, we look to you for all that we need. Look with favor on us, your servants, and give us your grace; for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

Pastor Dave

August 31, 2023 — Psalm 124

“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side—let Israel now say—if it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when our enemies attacked us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; then over us would have gone the raging waters. Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth. We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”

“Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and Thou forgavist the iniquities of my sins.” This is how I remember beginning the services of my Lutheran church when I was a kid. It is an immediate confession and a promise of forgiveness from the get-go of our worship lives. We all need help from time to time — and this was the message of our last devotion. Today let’s look at how it is we should ask for help. 

In the Psalm, the writer says his help is in the Lord — and he adds a reason why he reaches out to the Lord for this help: because the Lord made everything. The Lord created all things. As such, if there is someone we should look to for help, it is the Lord. The Psalmist states: “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side—let Israel now say….then they would have swallowed us up alive”

That is the positive truth which we come to worship the Lord, which we come to the Lord in prayer, in which we live our lives. The theme of dependence on the Lord in a hostile and difficult world is a recurring feature of the Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120–134). Psalm 124 is like 121 which is like Psalm 23 in many ways — in particular, the psalm is a testimony to G-d’s providence in the life of believers through Jesus Christ. We just need to live lives where we worship the Lord often, we pray daily, and we live in the confident trust of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Let us Pray:

Helper and defender of Israel, rescue the peoples of the world from destructive anger, and set us free to love and serve each other in the peace of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.