< PreviousThis week in Psalm 121 DAY 1 REVIEW: What does this Psalm teach us about God? What does this Psalm teach us about people? DAY 2 REFLECT: How has God been faithful to you recently? What truths have you been introduced to or reminded of this week? DAY 3 REFOCUS: How is God lifting your head with hope this week? What does God have set before you that might be challenging? DAY 4 RESPOND: How are you being prompted to respond to God this week? How are you being prompted to respond to others this week? DAY 5 REAFFIRM: What area of your life do you need to commit to growth? What truths do you need to remind yourself of this week?Notes: Prayer God, YOU ARE: THANK YOU FOR: FORGIVE ME FOR: HELP ME WITH: AmenPsalm 122 1 I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.” 2 Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem. 3 Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. 4 That is where the tribes go up— the tribes of the LORD— to praise the name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel. 5 There stand the thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David. 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure. 7 May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” 8 For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” 9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity.A CLOSER LOOK: This is the first of the Psalms of Ascent written by David, and celebrates the privilege it was to visit Jerusalem, and the tabernacle specifically (122:1) as an act of obedient worship. David is remembering the feeling of anticipation that accompanies the journey, and the feeling of joy upon arrival (122:2). Jerusalem was not only a rather dense and compact city full of architectural beauty, but it was also the cultural and spiritual center for God’s people (122:3-4). Despite the twelve tribes of Israel settling across the region, David worked to reestablish a sense of unity throughout the nation around the worship of God in the “house of the Lord”. While the temple would not be built until Solomon commissions it, David established a tabernacle (2 Samuel 6:16-19) to house the Ark of the Covenant and would be understood as the “house of Lord”. David then encourages prayer for peace and security for the city of Jerusalem (122:6), the people of Jerusalem (122:7), the pilgrims journeying to Jerusalem (122:8), and for the house of the Lord (122:9). At the time of David, the monarchy and the priesthood were separated, but Jesus now unites the two in himself (Hebrews 4:14-16, Revelation 21:1-8). Today, however, we no longer visit Jerusalem to worship God, as we have access to God through the work of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19-22). We look forward to worshiping God in the new and heavenly Jerusalem (Revelation 21:22-27, Hebrews 12:22-24), understanding our citizenship is ultimately in heaven (Philippians 3:20). CONTEXT: Psalm 84, Joshua 13, 1 Kings 5 and 6, Exodus 26This week in Psalm 122 DAY 1 REVIEW: What does this Psalm teach us about God? What does this Psalm teach us about people? DAY 2 REFLECT: How has God been faithful to you recently? What truths have you been introduced to or reminded of this week? DAY 3 REFOCUS: How is God lifting your head with hope this week? What does God have set before you that might be challenging? DAY 4 RESPOND: How are you being prompted to respond to God this week? How are you being prompted to respond to others this week? DAY 5 REAFFIRM: What area of your life do you need to commit to growth? What truths do you need to remind yourself of this week?Notes: Prayer God, YOU ARE: THANK YOU FOR: FORGIVE ME FOR: HELP ME WITH: AmenPsalm 123 1 I raise my eyes to you-- you who rule heaven. 2 Just as the eyes of servants attend to their masters’ hand, just as the eyes of a female servant attend to her mistress’ hand-- that’s how our eyes attend to the Lord our God until he has mercy on us. 3 Have mercy on us, Lord! Have mercy because we’ve had more than enough shame. 4 We’ve had more than enough mockery from the self-confident, more than enough shame from the proud. (CEB)A CLOSER LOOK: While the overall theme of the Psalms of Ascent is that of expectation and hope, as pilgrims would recite these on their way to Jerusalem, Psalm 123 is written as a community lament. The psalmist here is recounting the ways in which the people of Israel have been subjected to cruelty, whether by those around them in the various places they lived, or by those they encountered on their journey (123:3-4). It is unclear whether the author is writing from the experience of a servant or rather using the imagery of servitude to communicate the obedience required to wait patiently for God to act (123:2). Either way, it should be noted that the psalmist suggests three ways that we can faithfully turn to God in times of need; by looking to God’s throne (123:1), by looking to God’s hand (123:2), and by asking for mercy (123:3). Looking to God’s throne suggests a recognition of the sovereignty of God over our present situation, trusting in his plan rather than our own (Job 12:10, Proverbs 19:21). Looking to God’s hand is an acknowledgment that God is faithful not only to provide, but to direct (Matthew 6:25-34). This fits with the imagery used here of a master and servant relationship, as servants would wait upon hand signals from their master for direction and would be reliant on their master to provide for them. And finally, asking for mercy indicates a submission to God recognizing that we have fallen short in sin and are reliant on grace (Romans 3:23). CONTEXT: Nehemiah 4:1-6, Nehemiah 2:19, Amos 6:1, Luke 16:19-31This week in Psalm 123 DAY 1 REVIEW: What does this Psalm teach us about God? What does this Psalm teach us about people? DAY 2 REFLECT: How has God been faithful to you recently? What truths have you been introduced to or reminded of this week? DAY 3 REFOCUS: How is God lifting your head with hope this week? What does God have set before you that might be challenging? DAY 4 RESPOND: How are you being prompted to respond to God this week? How are you being prompted to respond to others this week? DAY 5 REAFFIRM: What area of your life do you need to commit to growth? What truths do you need to remind yourself of this week?Notes: Prayer God, YOU ARE: THANK YOU FOR: FORGIVE ME FOR: HELP ME WITH: AmenNext >