Psalm 128

Read Psalm 128

“Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!” The Almighty had a covenant with those who gathered together in the fear of the Lord. Those who not only worshiped Him but who also walked in His ways could expect that He would bring them great blessings. They would be able to live in the Promised Land and enjoy wonderful domestic blessings in a peaceful environment.

After centuries of Israel's covenant breaking, those who were traveling back to Jerusalem from distant lands knew too well that life in Canaan was not heaven on earth. Yet they came back to Jerusalem in obedience to the Word of the Lord. They held on to a God-given vision of a secure land where they could rejoice in the Lord. They believed that they would again feast together with loved ones who might be very far from Jerusalem or even departed from this world.

This vision of a bountiful and full life could only be secured by an all-powerful and merciful God. Only the Lord could raise the dead. Only the Almighty One could keep enemies far from their land. Only their God could give them new hearts that would be fully desirous of covenant faithfulness.

Jews and Gentiles who now call upon the Name of the Lord need to hold on to this vision of eternal wholeness even when it might seem that all hope of the good life is gone. A day will soon be here when “your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house.” In that day, “your children” will be with you again “around your table.”

Those who believe that Jesus has won for us the fullest covenant blessings of a better day need to speak words of faith to one another and receive our King's benediction as we gather together in worship. Our Lord is reigning from the heavenly Jerusalem. “The Lord bless you from Zion!” May He show us His kind provision both in this life and in the age to come. “May you see your children's children!” May the single man find his place in the household of God. Let the barren woman hear the good news that she is surely a part of a very large family. May all who are overwhelmed by the troubles of this world taste the blessings of the life to come as we sing together the songs of the faith.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Our God, we will walk in Your ways. The day is coming when all things will be right. You have granted us a glorious family in Zion. You will bring perfect peace upon Your church, and we will dwell securely with You forever.

Psalm 127

Read Psalm 127

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” Solomon was the man that the Lord used to build the temple in Jerusalem. He was a great king who had many amazing achievements, but he knew that only God was capable of building a house that would last.

The God of Israel called His people to love Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. They were called upon to undertake great projects in the service of the Almighty. Nevertheless, their plans would amount to nothing unless their endeavors were consistent with the Lord's own eternal purpose.

Staying up late at night and rising early in the morning could never bring about the achievement of what God had not ordained. He did not call upon Israel to be filled with anxiety in order to accomplish the work of God, but to trust Him and to rest in His good provision.

The Lord was not only the ultimate builder of His temple, He was also the God who alone could grant His people family blessings. The children He gave to Solomon and others in Israel were “a heritage from the Lord.” The generations of any great man's descendants might end up being a “house” that would last for many more years than any structure that human hands could build.

Solomon's descendants were a great gift from God. One of them would build a “house” for God that would be far greater than the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 16:18, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” The church He had in mind would not be a building, but a family that would encompass many generations and would live on forever and ever.

All who labor today in building up the temple of the Holy Spirit would do well to remember the words of Solomon. “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” Jesus will build up His kingdom. We can rest in Him as we seek to obey His commandments. “He gives to His beloved sleep.”

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Father God, You build the house. You watch over us. You guard us. We can sleep at night because of You. You will bring the next generation of faithful people forward. Surely Your Son Jesus Christ has a multitude of children who will glorify You forever.

Psalm 126

Read Psalm 126

“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.” Though God's people in every age have faced great trials and significant opposition, there is no doubt that “the Lord has done great things for us.” Israel had solid reasons for joyful laughter and even “shouts of joy.”

Even the nations around them were able to see the evidence of the Lord's favor upon His chosen flock. They said, “The Lord has done great things for them.” God's worshipers who knew the history of Israel had to agree.

Yet there were other times of critical need when the people of God cried out with sincere petition to Him again. “Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negeb!” Their hope was that their God would notice their honest tears one more time.

Even in the death of loved ones faithful mourners could discover a confident expectation for the future because of Almighty God. The somber practice of burial was a kind of “sowing” of their “seed,” yet with weeping. Though precious bodies were committed to the earth, the survivors could eventually believe that they would one day have “shouts of joy” because a fruitful yield was coming.

The doctrine of the resurrection has always been central to biblical faith. Our assurance of this great truth has been greatly strengthened by the historical accounts of the appearances of the living Jesus after His death on the cross for our sins. Without the fact of our Lord's resurrection there would have been no good news to proclaim to the world. With it the worshipers of God are able to discover the joy of heavenly gain despite the plain facts of earthly sorrow.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Great God, You have given us laughter and joy in the day of our deliverance. You have done great things for us. Now we have tears, but we will come home to You with shouts of joy. Our labor in Your Name is not in vain.

Psalm 125

Read Psalm 125

“Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.” As Jews from distant lands made their way to the temple in Jerusalem, they sang the words of the psalms. They trusted in the God who inhabits the praises of His people. Worship of the Almighty gave them hope and stability.

The Lord would be their protection “from this time forth and forevermore.” They looked forward to a new day when a righteous King would reign over the Promised Land forever. The perfect society would not come to Israel through their own presumptuous use of force. The Lord Himself would “do good” to those who were good.

But how would God's people ever become “upright in heart.” The history of Israel and Judah provided ample testimony that the Lord's assembly needed a stable source of obedience. Even a good generation was soon followed by a wicked one. It did not take many years for people to “turn aside to their evil ways.”

God Himself would have to bring eternal holiness to the Land. The one Messiah King who was truly upright in heart and life would work salvation for the people. He would take away the debt of their wickedness through His death and rise again as the eternal Ruler over a resurrected Israel. When Jesus returns He will bring the fullest peace to His people. “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Lord God, we do trust in You. Make us to stand firm in Jesus Christ. Surround us and protect us. Cause us to live in obedience in the strength that comes from Your grace. By Your mercy bring Your church peace forever.

Psalm 124

Read Psalm 124

“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side...” David knew what it was like to face violent opposition. He was aware that Israel would be destroyed without strong help from the Almighty. The “raging waters” of enemy opposition would be more than the people of God could bear on their own.

The Lord was rich in mercy to His chosen people. He did not ultimately give them up to their foes. He was able to make a way of escape for His children.

The greatest danger that God's chosen flock could ever face would be from His own righteous wrath. He has provided for His elect through the gift of His Son, Jesus, who suffered and died in our place. “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Our Father, You have been our help. We are very thankful. Without You we surely would have fallen and been destroyed. You have helped us, Creator God. We will glorify Your Name forever.

Psalm 123

Read Psalm 123

“To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!” The Old Testament people of God needed to keep their eyes focused upon the Lord as they traveled toward the place of holy assembly in Jerusalem. They needed to remember that their God was not merely a local deity like the gods of the nations. He was “enthroned in the heavens.”

The Almighty One of Israel was not only the Redeemer of His people, He was also their Master. Were they ready to attend to His Word as “the eyes of servants look to the hand” of a superior? The followers of the great I-Am needed to trust that it was God's intention to seek their good. They could obey Him with confidence knowing that He would have mercy upon them.

The Lord's pilgrims could not trust in the compassion of those who were “at ease” in their communities. The local rulers of the Gentiles were not looking out for the good of the followers of Yahweh. The dispersed people of the Almighty were well aware of “the contempt of the proud.”

Many followers of the Lord assumed that with the arrival of the Messiah their enemies would be immediately subdued. This was not the case. Our King Himself faced the hatred of religious and civil leaders, even dying at the hands of powerful authorities who showed Him great disrespect. During the course of the centuries that followed His cross, the prophetic warnings of Jesus to His church have been fulfilled, “They will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.” (Matthew 24:9)

How are we to respond to the contempt of the proud today? We need to lift up our eyes to Jesus, resolve again to follow His Word, and look for the fulfillment of all His sure promises to us.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

O God, we look to You. We need You day by day. There is no other place that we can go to for the mercy that we need. We need relief, O Lord. A proud foe is hard against us. We resist the devil and look to You for deliverance.

Psalm 122

Read Psalm 122

“I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord!'” Though the people of God might find themselves far from the Promised Land, as they made their journey to the appointed place of worship they could rightly say, “Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!” They loved the city that the Lord chose as the site for His temple. Their hearts longed to come together with other pilgrims from far-off lands who would meet again in the presence of the Lord on the top of Mount Zion.

The Lord had a special plan for Jerusalem that was made known in the days of King David. God had revealed to David the exact location for His temple. Sacrifices would be offered to Him on that mountain. Men from all the tribes would gather there according to His command. They would “give thanks to the Name of the Lord.” David would also reign from Jerusalem over a united kingdom. He and His descendants would execute justice in that great city according to the Word of the Lord.

When the Lord's people were dwelling in far off lands, they might say about their neighbors in the words of Psalm 120:7, “I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war!” But in Jerusalem the peace of God was to reign over all the citizens of God's chosen nation. This was the earnest desire of all who truly called upon the Name of the God of Israel, and they were to encourage one another to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” The people who loved the Lord, no matter what difficulties they found among the Gentiles, were to come home again to God in Jerusalem and experience true peace and security.

Peace was possible in the city of God only when the Lord counted the temple as “the house of God.” If the blood of the atoning sacrifice was not acceptable to the Lord, then there could be no lasting peace between God and man. But now the perfect sacrifice has come, and a new worldwide temple of God has been established in the body of Christ. Jesus has accomplished all that was required for us to have peace with God. We are the “house” of God because of our connection to Him.

We still pray for the peace of Jerusalem, not only for the one city where David once longed to build a great temple to the Lord, but also for the church of Jesus Christ throughout the earth. We look for that day when the “holy city” will come down out of heaven from God. Even now, though we live in places of strife, our feet are standing within the gates of that new Jerusalem.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Sovereign Lord, we long for Your presence. We thank You for the blessing of worship in Your temple even now. Your Son is full of the Holy Spirit. In Him there is full peace. We are united to Him, and we are the temple of Your Spirit.

Psalm 121

Read Psalm 121

“I lift up my eyes to the hills.” Israel was called to make a journey to God. Three times a year the males were to travel to the place that God appointed in order to keep a festival to Him. If they found themselves in far-off places, they needed to put one foot in front of another and head in the direction of home—the Promised Land that God had given to His children.

Along the way they might face danger and discouragement, but they could lift up their eyes to the hills, and remember that the God that they worshiped made the heavens and the earth. Their help came from Him.

Their Creator was also their Keeper. He would not let their “foot be moved.” He would “neither slumber nor sleep.” Even if they were guarded by the strongest soldier on the face of the earth, that mighty man would eventually have to sleep. God did not need to rest. He would protect them through every peril they might encounter as they made their way to the place of holy assembly.

The Lord's protection of His people would be far beyond what any army could promise. No police presence could guarantee to keep a person safe “from this time forth and forevermore.” Only the eternal God could promise health for Israel beyond this mortal life. This is what God has done for His people through the ministry of His Son.

If we hope in God only for this life, we are missing the point of His glorious grace. He is able to keep us forever. Through the blood of the Lamb, we have been granted safe passage to His temple on high which is beyond the earthly realms that we can see with our eyes.

When we look to the hills we can meditate upon the power of our Creator. We should also consider the community of the Lord that exists above—where Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father. We do well to remember that the Lord who made the most majestic mountains on the face of the earth is the same God who is reigning above in heavenly realms.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Father God, our help comes from You. You have created us, and You keep us through all kinds of difficulties. You will help us as we move along in our journey to the heavenly Jerusalem. You will keep us forever.

Psalm 120

Read Psalm 120

“In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.” Psalm 120 is the first of fifteen songs of ascents. These ancient inspired compositions began in places far-off from the temple in Jerusalem and ended at the top of Mount Zion in the presence of the servants of the Lord.

The psalmist did not start out with a heart filled with spiritual comfort but in the “distress” of a worshiper who knew that he was far from the place where God was known and loved. He was surround by people with “lying lips.” He knew that only the Lord could deliver Him from danger and bring him safely to his desired destination.

The Lord's pilgrim addressed the tongues of his adversaries in his song. He warned them of the danger that they would face because of their deceit. One day they would be silenced by the “sharp arrows” of a warrior who would stand against them.

The psalmist had experienced the dangers of living among the ungodly. He mentioned two residences that were very far away from each other. Some worshipers may have traveled to the temple from “Meshech” while others came all the way from “Kedar.” In either case, they were far from those who knew and loved the Law of the Lord. They had tried to live at peace with their ungodly neighbors, but those around them were determined to pursue violence.

The faithful followers of the God of Israel have always been on pilgrimage. We live in places where there may be little respect for the truth and where people are unwilling to seek God's richest blessings. We need Jesus to show us the way to live every day. We are learning to follow a King who is leading us home to our Father. He is the stairway to heaven and the Captain who brings us safely along many treacherous roads. In our distress we call out to the Lord, and He brings us help from on high.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Lord God, please help us in our distress. There is much trouble all around us. It is a great challenge to live in this world. Our confidence is in Christ. For His sake You will hear us and help us.

Psalm 119

Read Psalm 119

[ALEPH] Bless me Lord with all obedience.

[BETH] How can I obey? Only by Your Word.

[GIMEL] Deal bountifully. Give me Your fullness.

[DALETH] Clings—My soul clings to dust. Oh Life!

[HE] Teach me Your way. I will follow You.

[WAW] And may this come to me: eternal love.

[ZAYIN] Remember Your promise. I remember.

[HETH] My portion? You, Your Word, Your love.

[TETH] Well have you dealt with me, even in grief.

[YODH] Your hands made me. Comfort me in love.

[KAPH] Faints—My soul faints for You, Oh Lord.

[LAMEDH] Unto eternity You will be faithful.

[MEM] Oh how I love Your Word! It is my delight!

[NUN] A lamp to my feet! The joy of my heart!

[SAMEKH] The double-minded I hate. I fear You.

[AYIN] I have done what You said. I wait for You.

[PE] Wonderful! Your Word is wonderful.

[TSADHE] Righteous! Your Son is forever true.

[QOPH] I cry to You Lord Jesus! Save me!

[RESH] Look on me now and give me life.

[SIN/SHIN] Princes hate me. I hope in You.

[TAW] Let my song come to Your ear. Rescue me!

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Our Father, we should follow You in everything that we do. We should pay very close attention to Your Word. Your Son has followed You perfectly. We admire His perfect love of Your Word. He spoke the truth in everything. He also had perfect wisdom. He knew when to say nothing and when to speak up. We marvel at the story of Jesus Christ. He grew in wisdom and stature. He learned Your Law, and He eagerly walked in the way of Your statutes. He kept Your testimonies to the end. Through Him we have life. We do not speak of Him as merely a man from the past. Jesus is alive forever. The One who faced such difficulties for our sake was perfectly victorious in His mission. Therefore, He lives forever. He will always love Your instructions. There were many who stood against Him. Despite the challenge of the test that was before Him, He remembered Your Law, and He walked in the way of Your precepts. He loved You and loved us. This was perfectly displayed in His death on the cross. Your Word is so very valuable. It is worth much more than gold. Even the afflictions with which You test us are surely for our good. Forgive us when we would turn away from Your Word. There is no good reason for us to do this. Lord, we pray that You would give us life in the midst of great difficulties. Will we fall from the delight of knowing You? Will we be among the foolish who reject Your commandments? May it never be, O God. Your grace is so very necessary for us. Give us understanding. Help us to turn away from every temptation. Teach us Your rules. There is no hope for the one who would reject Your Word forever. Your Son never deviated from Your Law for even a moment. Lord, why would we consider the world more reliable than Your Word? Why are we drawn toward foolishness and sin? Father, we do love You. When we are in trouble, we do not always know what to say. Please help us to remember Your Word, and give us the right words to speak, that we might humbly express our reasons for the hope that lies within us. You are righteous, and Your Law is righteous. We are willing to be despised by the world. We do not want to wander from You again. Please help us in every test. Enemies would try to destroy us. You are near to help us in our affliction, for Your Word is in our hearts. No matter how many are faithless, we will stay in the way of life. Is there still hope for us? Surely You have forgiven our sins. You will bring us into the land of the living. We do love Your Law. Look beyond the foolishness of our murmuring. Surely You will let our souls live. If we go astray, please seek us, O great Shepherd of the sheep. We will not forget Your commandments.

Psalm 118

Read Psalm 118

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!” Israel and her priests, together with all who feared the Lord from other people groups, were to remember these truths continuously in their worship of the Almighty. This was a central confession of faith for all who desired to praise the Lord.

Psalm 118 recorded the suffering and “triumph” of one righteous Servant of God who called upon the Name of the Lord in his “distress” and was heard. The “nations” surrounded Him “on every side,” but with the help of the Lord, He “cut them off.”

The song of this godly Man would become the testimony of the nation. His victory would become their salvation. How would He win? He would face the severe discipline of God, and yet would live. The “gates of righteousness” would be opened to Him and He would give thanks to the Lord.

Jesus has come as the victorious servant of Psalm 118. When He gave His life as the Passover Lamb so long ago, He was the “Stone that the builders rejected.” The leaders of the covenant community in His day would not acknowledge Him as their Lord. They sought to kill Him and actually seemed to succeed for a brief time. Yet in His resurrection, He has become the “Cornerstone” of a new kingdom for all who would fear the Lord. His sacrifice on the cross has become our boast. This was all “the Lord's doing,” and “it is marvelous in our eyes.” We have heard the good news of His death and resurrection. We rejoice in Him and call others from all the people groups of the earth to worship Israel's God through Jesus, the Lamb of God. “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!”

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

O Lord, You are so very good. You are a God of covenant faithfulness. When we cry out to You, You hear us. Your servants need You every day. When our situation is desperate, You are able to help us, and You do help us. You discipline Your children, but You do not give us over to everlasting destruction. Your Son took the death and hell that we deserved. He was rejected by men. More than that He faced the full weight of our just penalty upon the cross. The death that He died Has brought life to us. His sacrifice was completely acceptable to You. He has won for us an everlasting salvation.