In The Word
Read: Psalm 132
Prayer for the Lord’s Blessing upon the Sanctuary.
A Song of Ascents.
132 Remember, O Lord, on David’s behalf,
All his affliction;
2 How he swore to the Lord
And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
3 “Surely I will not enter my house,
Nor lie on my bed;
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes
Or slumber to my eyelids,
5 Until I find a place for the Lord,
A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah,
We found it in the field of Jaar.
7 Let us go into His dwelling place;
Let us worship at His footstool.
8 Arise, O Lord, to Your resting place,
You and the ark of Your strength.
9 Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness,
And let Your godly ones sing for joy.
10 For the sake of David Your servant,
Do not turn away the face of Your anointed.
11 The Lord has sworn to David
A truth from which He will not turn back:
“Of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne.
12 “If your sons will keep My covenant
And My testimony which I will teach them,
Their sons also shall sit upon your throne forever.”
13 For the Lord has chosen Zion;
He has desired it for His habitation.
14 “This is My resting place forever;
Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
15 “I will abundantly bless her provision;
I will satisfy her needy with bread.
16 “Her priests also I will clothe with salvation,
And her godly ones will sing aloud for joy.
17 “There I will cause the horn of David to spring forth;
I have prepared a lamp for Mine anointed.
18 “His enemies I will clothe with shame,
But upon himself his crown shall shine.”
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Have you ever made a promise to yourself or God? Something that was so important to you that you could hardly sleep or think of anything else until you accomplished it (Psalm 132:2-4)? How did you feel when you finally started to see everything fall into place, then something tragic happened and threw the entire situation into chaos? That’s what happened to David when he tried to return to Israel with the Ark of the Covenant. Because of his excitement for doing what he considered a great act for God, he became careless of God’s Word concerning the Ark, and a man lost his life. It would be months before David would try again, but the next time he carried the Ark out in God’s perfect will.
David was so sold out to God that it is said he was “a man after God’s own heart.” It seemed David’s entire life was about pleasing God. Now, God makes a promise, “A truth from which He will not turn back; of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne. If your sons will keep my covenant and my testimony which I will teach them, their sons shall sit upon your throne forever” (Psalm 132:11-12). Out of all the places in the world, God chose Zion as His “resting place” and chose David’s lineage to bring forth the Christ (Psalm 132:14). Did you give up on your dream because it was hard? Did something happen that discouraged you? Be like David: pick yourself up, go back to God’s Word and His promises, and try again. Every great thing comes with a price!