Psalm 125

This is the 6th psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

¹ Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
² As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.
³ The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil.
⁴ Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart.
⁵ But those who turn to crooked ways the LORD will banish with the evildoers. Peace be upon Israel.

As I consider verse three “for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil” I recall Ephesians 2:1-22 and Ephesians 6:11,12. In Ephesians 2:1-22 Paul reminds us that our walk before coming to Christ was according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, of the spirit that works in the sons of disobedience. However; after coming to Christ, we are now fellow citizens with the saints and belong to the household of God. However, because of our change in citizenship we are now in a battle against the world of our past. As Paul states in Ephesians 6:11-18 we must stand against the wiles of the devil. Our warfare is no longer a struggle against the things in our life that keeps us away from God, but it is against the principalities and powers of wickedness in the heavenly places. As our country moves farther away from God it becomes easier for the righteous to turn and use their hands to do evil. However, Christians must remember that in these times we must do good and remain upright in heart. Remember that it is the Lord who judges the ways of the wicked and banish them from his presence; and that the task we must seek is not judgment but to do good and be upright in heart. Our battle is against the principalities and powers of wickedness in the heavenly places not trying to correct the evils of this world. We are not of this world but like Abraham we are looking for the new heaven and the new earth.

My desire is to be one that trust in the Lord and never be shaken by the events happening around me. Another characteristic found in this psalm is for the Lord to do good to those who do good and who have an upright heart. As one who is about to finish seven decades on this earth, I have seen how the pure in heart has been blessed. God does surround them and protects them.