Psalm 129

This is the 10th psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

1 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:

2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.

3 The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.

4 The Lord is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.

5 Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.

6 Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it grows up:

7 Wherewith the mower fills not his hand; nor he that binds sheaves his bosom.

8 Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you: we bless you in the name of the Lord. (KJV)

Sometimes we seem to forget verse four, “but the LORD is righteous” when we look at the events around us. As Psalm 128 explains we need to have the fear of the Lord and be walking in his ways to be blessed; here the psalmist warns against socializing with those that do not make this saying “The blessing of the LORD be upon you; we bless you in the name of the LORD.”.  Those who oppress Israel and hate Zion are that do not understand the blessing of the Lord on Israel. To fear God is to acknowledge God’s love and future desires for Israel. Therefore, keep your eyes on Israel because that is the nation that God in using to determine the Second Coming of his Son.

Belief in the Jesus as your Lord and Savior can present problems for some individuals around the world.  Most of the time I believe Christians only have concerns and prayers that center around their social unit.  In large portions of the world Christians are not only looked down upon but are also persecuted for their beliefs.  We must also realize that the doctrines and belief system different greatly even within the circles of Christianity.  The one truth that we do share is Jesus is our Lord and Savior, and we build the foundation of our belief system on Him.  So, as you read this psalm realize that other believers in the world are greatly oppressed and this psalm offers them the assurance that the Lord is watching over them.

Reading this psalm reveals the true realization of the power of the sinful nature of man.  As verse one and two repeat this phase “Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth.” is as true today as it was when this psalm was written.  Today the battle against God’s chosen nation (Israel) and those they want them totally destroyed is probably as strong today as it was during the time of Haman the Agagite during the reign of Ahasuerus king of Persia and Media.  My prayer must be for Israel if I truly believe in Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one that curses you I will curse.  And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”       

Psalm 128

This is the 9th psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

Blessed is every one that fears the Lord; that walketh in his ways.

2 For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.

4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that fears the Lord.

5 The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.

6 Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel. (KJV)

Verse one points back to Psalm one and focus on our walk with God which I believe is the main theme of the Book of Psalms. To determine whether your walk is “the way of righteous or the way of the wicked” ask yourself these two simple questions: do I fear the Lord, and do I desire to walk in his ways? The first question “do I fear the Lord” really cannot be answered until you define what this phase means to you. One of the ways I have found helpful in defining this phase is looking at how it is used in the scriptures. To fear the Lord means to walk in his ways. How do we walk in his ways? Paul tells Timothy to study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. So, the first step involves studying. The second step in serving the Lord is to serve him. By performing a word search on the “fear of God” in the Bible and studying the scriptures associated with the “fear of God” you will soon realize that this phase is also tied to the phase “and walk in his ways”. The third step in fearing the Lord is to shun or stay away from evil.

In Proverbs the fear of the Lord is associated with:

• the beginning of wisdom and knowledge
• those who shun and hates, evil behavior, pride, arrogance and perverse speech
• adds length to life
• a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.
• teaches a man humility
• being kept safe from evil.

One of the greatest blessings that one can have in live is to live and see your children’s children.  I have grown to learn that your grandchildren can be one of the greatest blessings you can enjoy in your old age.  In my retirement years I am blessed to have many grandchildren to live for and enjoy. 

Even when families break apart there can be wonderful blessings for those who stay faithful in their walk with God.  I love Psalm 119: 96 “I have seen a limit to all perfection, but thy commandment is exceedingly broad”.  Sometimes we get very disappoint were the things and issues that surround us are not as perfect as we desire.  We need to be careful that we do not strive to take corrective actions to make these things or issues perfect.  Sometimes the results of actions by us or others will create issues in our life that can’t be corrected or made right again. It is when these events that we are no longer able to control and are taken completely out of our in our hands that we must look to God’s grace to take over.  Then we can strive to walk a blameless lifestyle and can witness how the Lord seems to restore the brokenness into something beautiful. 

Psalm 127

This is the 8th psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

1 Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman wakes but in vain.

2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.  (KJV)

This Psalm focus on the theme of building. Verse one starts out with a bold statement that states the Lord must be the master builder. Reading this Psalm, I reflect on how this Psalm is used in seminars to teach biblical principles on how to build successful lives and families. Just do a Google search on the phase “how to build successful lives and families” and you will get over 426,000,000 hits. However, as I read this verse I reflect back on Genesis chapter eleven where mankind as a whole stated, “come let us build a city, and a tower whose top may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth”. So, what did God do? He confused the language of men and scattered them abound. However, a simple review of history will reflect that the theme of making us a name has been goal of mankind ever since this event. If you Google the phase “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain” you will get over 694,000 hits. As I look at the websites, they use these verses to support an important part of their ministry, or belief system. However, as I study Genesis chapter eleven on how God separated the nations through the whole planet, I see how he used one family to create a nation that he would work through. In Genesis chapter twelve we read about the call of Abram. Abram was called to leave and follow the direction of God. God promise to bless him and make his house great. The key principle found in this Psalm is that you must make the Lord the builder and caretaker of your life.

Psalm 126

This is the 7th psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

1 When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.

2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.

3The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

4 Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south.

5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

6 He that goeth forth and weeps, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. (KJV)

Reading these verses we like Israel can rejoice that the Lord turned your captivity from the bondage that sin had passed upon us and the freedom we have because of Christ. When Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden God did not leave them without hope since he promised a seed to woman that would someday bruise Satan’s head. He did the same with Judah when they were carried away by the Nebuchadnezzar’s army to Babylon. He promised that a remnant would return. This is also true of us as believers today. We are free from the penalty of death because of Christ and have the gift to walk in newness of our life from this sinful nature by the power of the Holy Spirit. This walk is outlined for the believer in Galatians chapter Five.  The fruit of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control. This is in contrast to the works of the flesh (sinful nature) such as: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wrath, factions, divisions, parties, envy, murders, drunkenness, and reveling that we had as our nature before we turn our way from the works of the flesh to enjoying the fruit of the spirits.  These fruits of the Spirit does not come by our works, but by our daily walk in the Spirit. 

As I read the second half of verse two “Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” I have to go to the prophecy found in Ezekiel 37:28 “Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.” This is probably one of the prophecies that the writer of this Psalm was thinking of when he wrote this Psalm. We also as believers have this hope and promise of a new heaven and a new earth found in Revelation chapter twenty-one. The beauty of this new heaven and new earth is that God dwelling is with man, and he will live with us. The old order of things will be passed away. Who will make up this new environment? The answer is found in verse twenty-seven. “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” So, until then, live a blameless life so that people around you can see that your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life and that the peace this gives you in your daily walk will also become the peace that they desire to have in their life.       

Psalm 125

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

1 They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abides forever.

2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even forever.

3 For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.

4 Do good, O Lord, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.

5 As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel. (KJV)

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 starting his seven decades on this earth, I have seen how the pure in heart has been blessed.  God does surround them and protects them.

Psalm 124

This is the 5th psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say.

2 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us:

3 Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:

4 Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:

5 Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.

6 Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.

7 Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.

8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (KJV)

Reading this Psalm, I reflect back to one of the darkest moments of my life. It was at this time in my life I had to make some major decisions. One of those decisions lead to the creation of the website my5dailypsalms. Having been in a Christian environment all my life some of the greatest truths of the scripture escape me. One of these truths is how much the Word speaks to the individual who daily studies the scriptures.

In this 5th psalm of the Song of Ascents the psalmist focuses on the phase “if the Lord had not been on our side”. This psalm does not focus on victory, but on protection and the deliverance from evil. It was in my darkest moment that I came to realized that I had been fighting for the things in life that I desired and not the close relationship to God that He desires for my life. As I reflect upon this Psalm, I realize how important the Bible as well as the great songs of the faith have been in my life.

One of the greatest joys I had at church in my youth was the music and the lyrics of these songs. One of these song Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus written by Helen Lemmel reflects how our Christian walk should be like in this world:

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conquerors we are!

Refrain

His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Refrain

The closer the relationship we have with God the farther the desires of the world will be in our life; however, the closer the relationship we have with the things of this earth the farther our relationship becomes with God. So, as we stay in His Word and reflect upon the great hymns of the faith we will realize that the things of this world will grow strangely dim as we grow in our relationship with Him.

Psalm 123

This is the 4th psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

1 Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so, our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

3 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

4 Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud. (KJV)

Reading this psalm today, I realized how simple our prayers should be. With all the issues of life that we face daily we must realize in the end that it is only our tunnel vision that can get us pass the clutter that these issues place in our daily life. Jesus during his time on earth faced many of the same distractions that we face in our everyday existence. However, Christ ministry was only focused on one purpose and that purpose was the cross for the glory of God. Paul writes about this in Philippians chapter two verses five through eleven:

Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross. Wherefore also God highly exalted him and gave unto him the name which is above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Also, from these verses in Philippians we observe that we need to be like Christ who took on the role of a servant and not that of the master. Therefore, today no matter what happens in the daily events of your life focus your vision to God’s throne. Become a servant that God can use and obedient to Him. In other words, learn the simple rule of trust and obey. Live a blameless life and God will open doors of opportunities for you to serve.

Psalm 122

This is the 3rd psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.
2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is builds as a city that is compact together:
4 whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel,
to give thanks unto the name of the Lord.
5 For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:  they shall prosper that love thee.
7 Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.
8 For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.
9 Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good. (AKJV)

Reading verse one, I reflect back to my early years that I went to church as a young child. As a child, church was a place of worship, and this was an event that we treasured every Sunday. It was a day set aside to worship the Lord and to praise him. As a child I was sheltered from most of the problems of this world, and not aware of any of the issues that were in the world around me. I was allowed to enjoy life as a child.  In the past twenty years technology has changed our lifestyle and our culture to the point of information overload.  It is refreshing to know I can still come to God’s Word and quiet and refresh my spirit.  

There is comfort in being surrounded by those who have the same belief system as you do.  However, as our country moves away from any association with God, I find it harder to be surrounded by those who have my belief system.  And yet I try to open up my conversations with others using a welcoming statement such as “How is it going this great and beautiful and wonderful day that God has given us”.  Statements like this can open up conversions about the Greatness of our God and how wonderful He is in your life.

When talking with others how much does the Lord play a part in your everyday conversations? Do you let the world know how much he means to you?  I may not be a preacher or a minister; but I will always be a witness to the glorious power of an ever-loving Lord in my life.  I will let the world know Christ lives in me and the life I now live is a life that reflects Christ in my daily-to-daily activities.

Another theme of this psalm is Jerusalem and the house of David.  The way that Jerusalem is praise in this psalm is the way I love to praise our country.  We need to pray for our country and our leaders.  When studying the kingdom of Israel under the first three kings (Saul, David, Solomon) we see the rise of twelve tribes to a strong nation, just to split into two nations soon after Rehoboam took over the kingdom from Solomon.  As we look back to Lincoln’s Gettysburg address to the words that only eighty-seven years had passed from the creation of this nation that was engaged in a Civil War that was threatening to destroy this nation that was created under God of the people, by the people, and for the people.  It did survive.   In the next few years, we will be approaching two hundred and fifty years as a nation.  Hopefully we will have still look to God to look over us and protect us.  May we use this psalm as an example to pray for our country.

Psalm 121

This is the 2nd psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keeps thee will not slumber.

4 Behold, he that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.

6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. (KJV)

This psalm shows us how much God watches over us. Yes, we do have angels that attend to our needs, but it is the Lord that watches over us not his angels. Read Matthew 18:10 “See that you do not look down on these little ones.” “For I tell you that their angels in heaven always look to the face of my father in heaven.” and you will see that it is God who watches over us not angels. The angels are looking to God for directions. With this in mind shouldn’t we also be looking to God for directions in everything we do as we walk the path of life that he has placed before us.

In a world of uncertainty ask yourself where is the answer to your problems and the issues you face in life? Do we really look to the Lord to meet our everyday needs? As I was reading Psalms 119 yesterday verse one introduces the reader to the true purpose of this Psalm. The purpose is to help and strengthen the one who wants to live a blameless life and who wants to walk in the way of the Lord.

This psalm helps illustrates the personal relationship an individual can have with God. The individual relationship that David had with God can be seem throughout his writings as well as the other authors of the Psalms. Yet it is not only an individual relationship that we share with God, but also a national relationship as seen by verse four of this Psalm. God does watch over the nations. This Psalm illustrates the importance of looking to God for deliverance. But what do we do then our nation as a whole rejects God ways? Christ gives us the answer is given in Luke chapter thirteen verses one through nine:

There were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.He spoke also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbered it the ground? And he answers said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shall cut it down.

In these verses we are given two events, one political and one natural where Christ was asked the reason why these happened. His reply was simply, do not worry about why these events are happening, or what caused them, but instead make sure you repent. In other words, we need to focus on our relationships with God and our fellowmen. The parable of the fig tree also shows how much the servant is willing to just do to save the tree under his care. This is the same care Christ has for us when we place ourselves under his leadership.

Psalm 120
A Song of ascents.

¹ I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers me.
² Save me, O LORD, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues.
³ What will he do to you, and what more besides, O deceitful tongue?
⁴ He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom tree.
⁵ Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar!
⁶ Too long have I lived among those who hate peace.
⁷ I am a man of peace; but when I speak, they are for war. (NIV)

This is the 1st of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms. This psalm can have a special meaning to those individuals who have faced a time in their life where the lies and deceitful actions of others has caused and created destructive circumstances in their life. In verses one and two the psalmist calls to the Lord in his distress with the request to deliver him from lying lips and deceitful tongues. One of the pitfalls I now realized in dealing with people who use deceptive practices is the idea that the truth will prevail. Verse two describes these people as having lying lips and a deceitful tongue. These people use the same methods as Satan practices. Paul states this same type of description of the false prophets in the early church found in II Corinthians 11:13-15 “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”. The pitfall that we face is that we expect that truth will prevail over deceitful tongues and lying lips almost immediately. That is not the case. If this is true, then the real question we must face is how we deal with people in our life you use lies and deceitful actions to get their way. The answer is not easy.

One of the issues I discovered is that people who used deceptive ways are cunnings. Psalm 64 describes their ways as a perfectly devised plan. So be careful in dealing with people in your life those that use lies and deceitful actions to get their way. It is better to turn the issue over to the Lord then to handle it yourself. This is the action that the psalmist is describing here in verse three when he states, “What will he (the Lord) do to you and what more besides”. Leaving judgment in God’s hands may seem impossible at the time, however, this is the action that David practiced in dealing with people who use lies and deceitful actions to get their ways.

One of the timeless truths that comes from this psalm is the wonder of God’s grace in our life. By waiting on God to act we will not only see righteousness prevail, but we can also experience the peace that his grace affords use. The words of the song He Giveth More Grace by Annie J. Flint described to us how boundless his grace ready can be.

1. He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
   He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
   To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
   To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.
2. When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
   When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
   When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
   Our Father’s full giving is only begun.
3. Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
   Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
   Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
   The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.
4. His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
   His power no boundary known unto men;
   For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
   He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again

So, wait on the Lord and watch his grace grow in your life which will give you a much richer life.