In The Word
Read: Psalm 120-121
Prayer for Rescue from the Treacherous.
A Song of Ascents.
120 I cried to the Lord in my trouble,
And He answered me.
2 Rescue my soul, Lord, from lying lips,
From a deceitful tongue.
3 What will He give to you, and what more will He do to you,
You deceitful tongue?
4 Sharp arrows of the warrior,
With the burning coals of the broom tree!
5 Woe to me, for I reside in Meshech,
For I have settled among the tents of Kedar!
6 Too long has my soul had its dwelling
With those who hate peace.
7 I am for peace, but when I speak,
They are for war.
The Lord, the Keeper of Israel.
A Song of Ascents.
121 I will raise my eyes to the mountains;
From where will my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who watches over you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who watches over Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your protector;
The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun will not beat down on you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
8 The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in
From this time and forever.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
We now begin with the first two of fifteen “Songs of Ascent.” These were songs used by pilgrims, who were making their way to Jerusalem from foreign lands, to present at the many different feasts held in Jerusalem. Psalms 120 and 121 speak of distant lands where the travelers lived and felt displaced. “Too long has my soul had its dwelling with those who hate peace” (Psalm 120:6). “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from whence my help come from? My help comes from the Lord” (Psalm 121:1-2). These are the prayers of those seeking the kindred spirit of God and presence of the Lord that can be found in their homeland and city Jerusalem.
We should feel the same way about our local church. It is there that we find peace and a kindred spirit. Your spirit is nurtured by hearing the Word of God, worshiping with fellow believers, and having others pray for you and your circumstances. But you can miss this when you choose not to attend a local church and do life alone; you’re not only hurting yourself, but others as well. Did you ever think that God may have given you a spiritual gift for that church? In 1 Corinthians 12, it speaks of the whole body of Christ and how it is made of many members. “For the body is not one member but many” (1 Corinthians 12:14). When you choose to do life alone, there are other believers who are missing out on the gift God has given you. There is no excuse; there is a church on every corner. Make sure you’re attending the church that God has for you! There’s a need only you can fill.