Psalm 120, A Cry in Distress A Song of Ascents:
“Keep moving forward.” This is a phrase of encouragement throughout history. And this is my heart, during the advent season, filled with uncertainties and change. I ask you to join me to ascend in the Psalms through the Song of Ascents, to speak aloud the Word and pray to God to be renewed in hope and the joy of the Lord.
Here we go:
In my distress, I cried to the LORD, And He heard me.
Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips And from a deceitful tongue.
“Yes, Lord. This is a time of divisive and hostile words. Give us discernment to hear Your voice of truth.”
What shall be given to you, Or what shall be done to you, You false tongue? Sharp arrows of the warrior, with coals of the broom tree!
“Lord, help us know and remember Your eyes and ears are open to everything. We only see portions, but You are a witness to each unspoken and spoken word, each motive, every action of humankind., worldwide. You are God Almighty. Together we cry out to You. The One able to move mountains.”
Woe is me, that I dwell in Meshech, That I dwell among the tents of Kedar! My soul has dwelt too long With one who hates peace. I am for peace; But when I speak, they are for war Psalm 120, NRSV.
“We think of the day You walked on this earth, Jesus. You came in love, yet You were ‘despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief . . . we hid, as it were, our faces from’ . . . You. (Isaiah 53: 3.)
In this dark age we live in, we cry out for Your hope and light.
We give praise to You for Your Word reminds us:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts Isaiah 55: 8-9.
Amen and amen!”
And through the Songs of Ascents, we will continue:
I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth Psalm 121:1,2.
Is this not the testimony of faith through the ages?
“Lord, help us get our eyes off the circumstances, great frustrations, and misunderstandings and fix them on You.”
Where will we be if we turn from the true and living God to trust in man’s wisdom alone?
Your Word tells us, ‘. . . the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men‘ 1 Corinthians 1:25, ESV.
Thank You, Lord, that the open Word brings light to our steps:”
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night” Psalm 121: 3,4.
“Amen, dear Lord. You are my Keeper. You’re our Keeper! We walk on the solid ground of faith in You.
You’re Immanuel, God with us. To all who choose to receive Your love and gift of salvation. You’re a giver. You were willing to lay down Your life for all lives, all people, all nations, all tongues.
Nails were driven into Your hands for me.
In a world where love is defined in many ways, Your Word defines love for us:
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [that is, the atoning sacrifice, and the satisfying offering] for our sins [fulfilling God’s requirement for justice against sin and placating His wrath] 1 John 4:10, AMP.
To know You, Lord, is to believe Your promises:
The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore! (Psalm 121: 7,8. Emphasis mine.)
Amen. Amen! (Emphasis mine.)
P.S. Renewed in mind, heart, and soul is the reward in time aloud in God’s Truth! In response, I share a song I wrote from Psalm 95, which I plan to record with the voices of children, The Lord is a Great God:
(For anyone who has read this far, can I ask for prayer as I complete the writing of a 5-Day Huddle in Genesis / Creation?
This song will need to be re-recorded with the voices of children! If you are local to me and have a child who loves to sing and is looking for opportunity, please contact me (PM).
In time, I pray this offering to the Lord will be a resource for churches and Christian schools for simple and powerful ministry to kids! And prayerfully, I can keep putting together 5-Day Huddles throughout Genesis.)
Let me know if you’re praying! -Toni Rypkema