Psalms of Ascent

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Pray for hope to dream once again

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When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.

The phrase “It is what it is” is so commonly used. It might even be considered cliché. Yet, the depth of its meaning seems to have been lost.  It conveys, in just a few short words, a situation which cannot be changed, being without hope of improvement.  It’s as if someone is holding up their hands and saying, “stop hoping, this can’t get better.” It’s as if hope – the ability to dream of a better condition – is set aside, never to be resurrected.  What a sad place to be, where hope is unavailable.

After Nehemiah heard about the condition of Jerusalem, he sat down and wept for days (Nehemiah 1-2).  This grieving spilled over into his role as cup-bearer to the king. When the king questioned his sad face, Nehemiah reveals the pain in his heart over Jerusalem and his dream of reconstructing the city of Jerusalem. By dreaming of what Jerusalem could be, Nehemiah becomes God’s instrument in bringing Israel back to God.  And in reading the rest of Nehemiah’s story, we find that just as the city returns to some form of its former glory, the people of Israel do as well.

Both in Nehemiah’s story and the passage today, restoration produces hope and the ability to dream.  Israel’s past restoration produced enough hope to where dreaming was rekindled and freedom to imagine what could be.  Moving from despair and pain to a place where there’s hope enough to begin dreaming feels like the cold night passing because of a wonderful sunrise and the warmth of the sun washing away the memory of the frigid evening. We all desire the warm feeling of hope and freedom to dream, but we will never get there unless we begin to imagine what things could be. Perhaps this is a good time for us all to sit still for a moment and consider where we have stopped dreaming, and pray for hope to dream once again.[/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]

By Rich Obrecht

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As we seek peace from the only reliable source – God – we find rest for our souls.

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8 For my brothers and companions’ sake
    I will say, “Peace be within you!”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek your good.

In a world filled with gregarious evil – cold-hearted shootings, vindictive words, and chaotic violence – peace seems elusive and suspicion grows. Anxiety ranks off the charts not only in places of unrest but also in countries of wealth and prosperity. Some wonder if world peace will ever be possible. Yet, the type of peace mentioned in Psalm 122 flows deeper than public harmony and brings security far beyond mindful meditations.

Peace is listed as a fruit of the Spirit – which means it comes from within. True peace comes from God alone. The word of peace spoken over pilgrimages making their way to Jerusalem was a prayer for God’s Spirit to reside within them – come what may. This peace would not only benefit one’s journey but also those walking alongside them. Furthermore, peace and goodness would begin to spread from within them, into their community and into the world. This would become the strategy to bring peace to the city of Jerusalem. Therefore, when the house of the Lord thrives, the city can thrive too.

We seek goodness and peace – not only for individual benefit – but for the sake of Christ and the city. As we seek peace from the only reliable source – God – we find rest for our souls. This inevitably benefits the community around us and extends into the world at large. Yet, we’re not called to be peacekeepers maintaining a false sense of harmony with God and others. We must become peacemakers. This process requires effort on our part – whether we have committed the wrong needing to apologize or find ourselves victim to someone else’s sin needing to forgive. Either way, to allow true peace and goodness into our world, we need to make peace. Today, attempt to share your peace with someone you find yourself at odds with. In this way, you’ll become a peacemaker rather than peacekeeper.

 

14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth,
and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness
given by the gospel of peace.
– Ephesians 6:14-15

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By Yvonne Biel 

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A city at peace is a city at ease – with nothing to prove and no need to fight.

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6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
    “May they be secure who love you!
7 Peace be within your walls
    and security within your towers!”

 

Shalom – the Hebrew word for peace – carries the meaning of harmony, wholeness, prosperity, and welfare. This concept is more than civil rest – it’s the hope for complete security within and a genuine flourishing from standing at ease. David’s prayer for peace begins within the city walls and extends to the watchtowers. He desires Jerusalem to be at peace on all sides – both the people dwelling inside and those standing guard.

Jerusalem literally means city of peace. In today’s section of the psalm, it’s as if David is saying, “pray for the peace within the city of peace,” which begs the questions, if Jerusalem is a city of peace, why must we pray for peace? Well, although Jerusalem was named for peace, this city has been wrought with turmoil from its beginnings and continued to be a hotbed of religious, racial and economic tension. David, the author of Psalm 122, is remembered for slaying ten thousands as he lead military endeavors. Then, when he steps into leadership his vision and prayer for this city is simply: peace.

A city at peace is a city at ease – with nothing to prove and no need to fight. When clenched fists come down and swords are put away, peace can begin to dwell again. This is true of the church, too. When we know we’re forgiven, we can be secure to let go of tension. When we know our fight is not against flesh and blood, we can to put away the need to fight one another. Then peace begins to dwell among us. Then church can become a sanctuary – a sacred place where many can find refuge and rest from the turmoil of life. As we read Psalm 122, let’s not only pray for peace in the holy land but also for peace within the body of Christ. Just as David prays for the city of peace to live up to it’s name, let’s pray for the body of Christ to be the body of Christ.

 

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
– Philippians 4:4-7

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By Yvonne Biel 

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Whenever we go to the house of the Lord, we’re reminded Jesus endured the hammer on our behalf

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3 Jerusalem—built as a city
    that is bound firmly together,
4 to which the tribes go up,
    the tribes of the Lord,
    as was decreed for Israel,
    to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 There thrones for judgment were set,
    the thrones of the house of David.

 

Imagine your younger sister just ratted you out for something she actually did. Sentenced to your room, you find yourself awaiting unknown judgment when your father gets home. How do you feel? In today’s passage, the mention of thrones of judgment can stir up a sense of fear or dread – yet, David deliberately chooses to add this little detail in his psalm about communal worship. One might wonder why he would weave in such a weighty concept. Perhaps it’s more relevant than we realize. For some, the idea of going to the house of the Lord brings with it a sense of apprehension – ignited by the fear of unfair judgment. Sadly, our world is full of unfair judgment – both in the church and in our legal system.

No one likes the feeling of being judged or experiencing the consequence of righting a wrong. Yet, if we’re honest, we all want justice. Deep within our spirits, we cry out for justice. We desire for cases of injustice to be made right and for consequences to be just. The establishment of the judgment seat is only scary when we are worried the hammer will fall on us. Those confident in a merciful outcome can be sure the hammer will not fall on them.

As believers in Jesus, we can be confident in the outcome of God’s judgment seat. The hammer doesn’t fall on us because it’s already fallen on Jesus. He’s already paid the penalty of our sin in full. Therefore, whenever we go to the house of the Lord, we’re reminded Jesus endured the hammer on our behalf. This is precisely why we can experience joy and peace when we enter God’s presence – knowing just punishment has already taken place. Take a few minutes to imagine yourself walking out of your bedroom after your dad explains he knows exactly where you and your sister were at fault and how he took the punishment due for both you and her. Feel the emotions of freedom when you can trust a just and fair system – for both you and the others involved.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
    or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him
    that he might be repaid?”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be glory forever. Amen.
– Romans 11:33-36

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By Yvonne Biel 

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We need to worship God with others.

 

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I was glad when they said to me,
    “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
2 Our feet have been standing
    within your gates, O Jerusalem!
3 Jerusalem—built as a city
    that is bound firmly together,
4 to which the tribes go up,
    the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for[a] Israel,
    to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 There thrones for judgment were set,
    the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
    “May they be secure who love you!
7 Peace be within your walls
    and security within your towers!”
8 For my brothers and companions’ sake
    I will say, “Peace be within you!”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek your good.

 

Upon careful reading of this psalm, you’ll notice a communal theme. The psalm begins with a chorus of companions announcing, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” They gather as tribes and go up together (Psalm 122:4). Collectively, their feet stand within the gates of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:2). As brothers and companions, they worship together seeking goodness and peace (Psalm 122:8-9). Psalm 122 is filled to the brim with the idea of worshiping as a community.

Unfortunately, individualism has shaped our Christian culture. We tend to emphasize individual journeys and praise personal moments of worship rather than celebrating communal aspects. Consequently, we can easily turn inward to work on our private relationship with God separate from our brothers and sisters around us. But, as this psalm implies, we need to worship God with others.

Brothers and sisters in Christ are companions on the pilgrimage and we need them. As we rub shoulders with them, we encourage them to go to worship and vise versa. It’s no surprise we have the saying, “choose your friends wisely.” We all know the people we choose to surround ourselves with influence us. They shape us. When these people love Jesus and remind us to move toward him, their love and passion sharpens us. Think about one person in your life who often encourages you to worship. Praise God for that person today and encourage them by sharing your realization.[/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]

By Yvonne Biel 

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Entering into God’s presence with the community of God’s people helps us feast off others enthusiasm and soak in the joy around us.

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I was glad when they said to me,
“let us go to the house of the Lord!”

We’re spoiled in America. We have innumerable opportunities to enter places of worship. Distance is no big obstacle either when we can simply climb into our cars and drive ourselves to church. Then, when we arrive, it’s not all that different than the rest of life – the music is similar to what we overheard in the local grocery store and the sermon is similar to the radio broadcast we listened to on the way. But, for some of the first Israelites to sing Psalm 122, the journey would’ve been long and extremely uncomfortable.

Taking this journey meant leaving the mundane and troubles of everyday life in the countryside and beginning an adventure toward the city swarming with people and festivity. Perhaps this extreme contrast made for such a glad response to the invitation, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” By going to the city, they could feast off the enthusiasm to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

Sometimes the process of going to church is full of joy and gladness. We can’t wait to get there – like the Israelites in this psalm. However, because it’s fairly convenient and somewhat familiar for us to step into a place of worship, we can easily take the house of the Lord for granted and going to worship can quickly lose its wonder as well as its joy. Perhaps this describes you today. Instead of feeling gladness about entering the Lord’s presence, you sense some guilt or shame or boredom. Be encouraged. Gladness is not a prerequisite. But, there will be gladness in the going. The process of entering into God’s presence with the community of God’s people helps us feast off others enthusiasm and soak in the joy around us. Can you think of a time when you entered church reluctantly and came out filled with gladness? Next time you feel reluctant to enter the house of the Lord, remind your heart of this joy. One suggestion would be to listen to a song like Ascension by Phil Wickham.

 

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night
to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
It is good to give thanks to the Lord.
– Psalm 92:1-4

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By Yvonne Biel 

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All of this is our ascent – setting our eyes on Him and causing us to draw closer to him.

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In my distress I called to the LORD,
    and he answered me.
Deliver me, O LORD,
    from lying lips,
    from a deceitful tongue.
What shall be given to you,
    and what more shall be done to you,
    you deceitful tongue?
A warrior’s sharp arrows,
    with glowing coals of the broom tree!
Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech,
    that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
Too long have I had my dwelling
    among those who hate peace.
I am for peace,
    but when I speak, they are for war!

Earlier this week, we said Jerusalem was considered “up” regardless of one’s geographical starting point. Even if the overall journey meant a literal decent in elevation, the entire journey towards Jerusalem was considered to be an ascent. In ancient time, places of worship were also called “high” and “holy” places, and they were strategically set up on hills. Thus, the process of going to the Temple or place of worship involved an “ascent”– similar to how Cathedrals were designed to raise one’s eyes toward heaven.

We may not take many pilgrimages today or even enter Cathedrals to raise our eyes in ascent, yet we use similar language. In Revelation 8:3-4 we see the prayers of the saints ascending in the smoke from the heavenly golden censer. Over and over, our prayers and worship ascend as we “lift up” songs and prayers and praises. All of this is our ascent – setting our eyes on Him and causing us to draw closer to him. When we turn from the world and seek to enter God’s presence for prayer and worship, we’re – in a way – ascending toward Him.

Leaving behind worldliness and everything that distracts us from God increases our hope as we approach the Lord. This is why it’s so important to identify those things which hinder our pilgrimage. To hold onto these things is to weigh ourselves down, which sets our focus on the thing itself rather than the praise we could be lifting up to God. It’s like having a weight tied to our ankle as we’ve been tossed into a sea; as the surface and light disappear as the weight drags us deeper. The process of cutting loose from these weights frees us to ascend towards God. As you walk into your place of worship this coming Sunday, remember the blessing it is to be freed from worldliness and given the hope of Christ. As a celebration of this freedom to ascend, listen to Boldly I Approach Your Throne by Rend Collective.[/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]

By Cole Comstock

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We cannot just run and escape the world hiding out on God’s mountain.

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Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech,
    that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
Too long have I had my dwelling
    among those who hate peace.
I am for peace,
    but when I speak, they are for war!

Meshek and Kedar are distant lands poetically representing the ways of the world. Here, the Psalmist yearns for peace as he lives among the reality of war. He feels the tension between the way things ought to be and the way things actually are. Then, longing to leave the ways of the world behind, this pilgrim turns his face toward Jerusalem.

This is often times our reality, too. We see the world in which we live and we desire something better. We desire to leave certain worldliness behind and move toward a newness in God—whether this be literally moving to a new place, or spiritually moving in the sense of adopting a new outlook, letting go of the past, or recognizing a needed change within.

In turning, we press on toward worshiping God. Yet, we cannot just run and escape the world hiding out on God’s mountain. A pilgrimage would climax at the peak, but there would also be an eventual return. This second turn doesn’t mean we go back to the way things were, rather it means returning changed. We take the first turn toward pilgrimage – toward a genuine encounter with God, but not without the second turn where we step back into our world changed. Today, pray for the Lord to reveal what you need to leave behind and what action is needed to come back changed.[/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]

By Cole Comstock

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We trust in God’s justice and character to answer in perfect time.

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What shall be given to you,
and what more shall be done to you,
you deceitful tongue?
A warrior’s sharp arrows,
with glowing coals of the broom tree!

 

In verse two, the Psalmist writes, “and he answered.” We don’t know exactly what the answer was, but in today’s reading we get a hint as to how God answered. “A warrior’s sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree.” At first, that doesn’t sound so great. God’s answer wasn’t wealth, power, or health. Rather, the answer entailed God taking care of the enemy.

The enemy is not us or the people around us, it’s about sin. So, whether it’s our own struggle with sin or our struggle with the sin of those around us, God promises to take care of sin. However, sin may not receive an immediate punishment or due justice. This is the very tension in our pilgrimage as Christians as well. God’s answer is not always fulfilled in the here-and-now, rather a vast majority of answers will not be fulfilled until the final establishment of God’s kingdom. So we pray, “Lord, come quickly,” as we yearn for his kingdom to be both literal and physical (Matthew 6:10).

As for right now, we have a God who sees and hears. We believe God’s righteous Day will come when the wicked will meet their end and the true enemy will be rightly conquered. Today, we stand in assurance, knowing our prayers are lifted up on his altar, and we trust in his justice and character to answer in God’s perfect time. We may not always get the answer we’re looking for, but we will get the reward of Him and being saved on the Day of Judgement, as well as the assurance of justice in that final day when His peace is established permanently. Today, praise God for answered prayers and for the prayers yet to be fulfilled.

 

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the cosmic powers over this present darkness,
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
-Ephesians 6:12

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By Cole Comstock

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Praise the Lord we have a God who sees and hears.

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In my distress I called to the LORD,
    and he answered me.
Deliver me, O LORD,
    from lying lips,
    from a deceitful tongue.

 

We have a God who sees and hears (Genesis 16:13, Deuteronomy 4:29-31, Jeremiah 29:12-13). The great blessing in this is that our God is faithful to answer when we call on him and when we seek him with our whole heart – as the Psalmist does here. Now, this doesn’t mean we’ll receive the answer we’re looking for, but it does mean our God is personal and relational, and he will give us an answer.

This is especially comforting when we lament the reality of the world around us and tell God all about our current struggles and stresses. As the Psalmist laments over the lying lips and deceitful tongues around him, he relies on God alone to deliver Him (vv. 3-4). He boldly declares, “and he answered me,” confident in God’s answer whether in the past or in the unfolding.

Knowing God alone sees and hears, and knowing God alone answers our prayers, we have the freedom to lament. Surely we’re guilty of speaking against others or have had others speak against us. Still, we yearn for justice and long for peace (vv. 6-7). Therefore, we can stand in confidence to lament, like this Psalmist, and we can trust in God’s righteousness to make all things right. Take some time today, in lamenting prayer, to ask God to deliver you from lying lips and a deceitful tongue. Use this sample prayer from Eugene Peterson:

 

Rescue me from the lies of advertisers
who claim to know what I need and what I desire,
from the lies of entertainers who promise a cheap way to joy,
from the lies of politicians who pretend to instruct me in power and morality,
from the lies of psychologists who offer to shape my behavior and my morals so that I will live long,
happily and successfully, from the lies of religionists who ‘heal the wounds of this people lightly,’
from the lips of moralists who pretend to promote me to the office of captain of my fate,
from the lies of pastors who ‘leave the commandment of God,
and hold fast the traditions of men’ (Mark 7:8).
Rescue me from the person who tells me of life and omits Christ,
who is wise in the ways of the world and ignores the movement of the Spirit.

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By Cole Comstock

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