In a day where news clips and billboards seem to scream in our every direction, the Lord speaks in the sunrise of the morning and the sunset of the night sky, Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth Psalm 46:10.
“As we walk forward, slow with the challenge of keeping steady, we pray and cry aloud to You ‘who are enthroned in the heavens!'”
To you, I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens.
“Psalm 123 is our prayer, word for word, dear Lord,
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us.
Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.
Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud.
“As empty gloves on the table become alive in our hands, help us put the promise of Your presence to give us strength now, for what comes today, to stand. Your Word is our comfort in our affliction,” (Psalm 119:50).
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go Joshua 1:9.
It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed Deuteronomy 31:8.
“Help us remember Lord, our weakness as in empty gloves. To agree with You is surrender, yet this is our hope for strength in the battles. We are nothing on our own without You. Your Spirit gives us life.
Your promise to be with us wherever we go is repeated more than 18 times. Obviously, You don’t want us to forget this foundational truth. Keep us looking up, not all-around at every voice that speaks.
Your voice is not heard unless we are willing to hear:
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?‘ Hebrews 13:5,6.
Help us remember this. We are like sheep and forget the foundations of our faith.
Keep us faithful . . . to believe You . . . now, today!
…’ And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age‘ Matthew 28:20.
We know this, but we forget. Help us remember:
You were dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and Your name is the Word of God” Revelation 19:13.
If it had not been for the LORD who was on our side when men rose up against us, . . . Our help is in the Name of the LORD who made heaven and earth Psalm 124. (Calligraphy, tonirypkema.com)
“Our prayers are Your Word, dear Lord:
If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, Let Israel now say – ‘If it had not been the LORD who was on our side when men rose up against us;
Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their wrath was kindled against us;
Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, The stream would have gone over our soul; Then the swollen waters Would have gone over our soul.‘
Blessed be the LORD, Who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers;
The snare is broken, and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth” Psalm 124.
And the hymns and spiritual songs are our meditations:
Why should I feel discouraged Why should the shadows come Why should my heart feel lonely And long for heaven and home When Jesus is my portion A constant friend is He His eye is on the sparrow And I know He watches over me
Cevilla D Martin, His Eye is on the Sparrow
Renew.
Restore.
We walk with ears to hear Your voice today. In Jesus’ name.
Walk with me in victory in the Song of Ascents as we run our race and fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith . . .
The Song of Ascents were recited as the children of Israel journeyed up to Jerusalem. Journey with me. Speak aloud the Songs. Pray the Songs, for such a time as this, together we ascend to our promised land:
Psalm 120, A Cry in Distress A Song of Ascents:
Quite accurate for our year 2020, Psalm 120.
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.
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!
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.
We won’t stand still, we keep moving forward. Psalm 121 will help us with our focus:
Psalm 121, God is Our Keeper. A Song of Ascents.
The LORD will preserve those who trust in Him from all evil, from this time forth, and even forevermore.
Perhaps we walk in a desert place, but when we feed our hungry soul with faith as we drink the Living Word, we are refreshed in ways beyond our mind’s eye.
Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy.
He who continually goes forth weeping
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him Psalm 126: 5,6.
But I can’t get ahead of myself. “The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.”
We can rejoice in the Lord, always:
“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!” Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided— “Great is Thy faithfulness, ” Lord, unto me!
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
How glad we are to enter the house of the LORD!
“I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the LORD.” Our feet have been standing Within the gates, O Jerusalem!
Jerusalem is built. As a city that is compact together, Where the tribes go up, The tribes of the LORD, To the Testimony of Israel, To give thanks to the name of the LORD . . .
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces.”
For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, “Peace be within you.” Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek your good”Psalm 122.
“Yes, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem because You, dear Lord command us to. We seek Your good this day dear Lord. We rejoice that You hear our prayers.”
To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us.
Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.
Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud Psalm 123.
Why should I feel discouraged Why should the shadows come Why should my heart feel lonely And long for heaven and home When Jesus is my portion A constant friend is He His eye is on the sparrow And I know He watches over me
Cevilla D Martin, His Eye is on the Sparrow
Bring us to a new beginning Lord. We seek You. Help us believe You and Your Word. Help our unbelief. We cry “Mercy Lord.”
Renew.
Restore.
We walk with ears to hear:
Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper . . . Psalm 1:1,2,3.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish Psalm 1:6.
The LORD God, Creator of heaven and earth, He is our hope and defense:
If it had not been for the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us, . . . Our help is in the Name of the LORD who made heaven and earth Psalm 124. (Calligraphy, tonirypkema.com)
“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,” Let Israel now say – “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us;
Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their wrath was kindled against us;
Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, The stream would have gone over our soul; Then the swollen waters Would have gone over our soul.”
Blessed be the LORD, Who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers;
The snare is broken, and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth Psalm 124.
Those who trust in the LORD are like mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever Psalm 125:1.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people From this time forth and forever.
For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest On the land allotted to the righteous, Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.
Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, And to those who are upright in their hearts.
As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways, The LORD shall lead them away With the workers of iniquity.
Peace be upon Israel! Psalm 125.
Breath by breath, step by step, with our eyes focused up, we walk this journey meditating on God’s Word that we might be as trees planted by the rivers of water whose leaf shall not wither, (Psalm 1).
Because: “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people From this time forth and forever.“
The Bible tells us so. Today, I hear the voice of the Lord, and I will stand on His promises. Join me in faith to believe God more and more and grow in understanding of His Holy Word? Yes and amen.
“For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest On the land allotted to the righteous, Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity Psalm 125:3.
Nothing can for sin atone, Nothing but the blood of Jesus; Naught of good that I have done, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
This is all my hope and peace, Nothing but the blood of Jesus; This is all my righteousness, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
We remember our hope:
What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Nothing but the Blood of Jesus by Robert Lowry, 1876.
Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy . . . The Lord has done great things for us, And we are glad Psalm 126.
When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing.
Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, And we are glad.
Bring back our captivity, O Lord, As the streams in the South.
Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come againwith rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him Psalm 126.
Do we sow in tears? We shall reap in joy.
Do we continually go forth weeping? We are bearing seed for sowing. We will rejoice again because the Lord is working. He is helping. He is drawing near as we draw near to Him.
“Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob, all the remnant of the people of Israel, you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you Isaiah 46:3,4.
“With whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared? Some pour out gold from their bags and weigh out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down and worship it. They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Even though someone cries out to it, it cannot answer; it cannot save them from their troubles.
“Remember this, keep it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels Isaiah 46:5-8.
Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’Isaiah 46: 9,10.
From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do. Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are now far from my righteousness.
I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation will not be delayed. I will grant salvation to Zion, my splendor to Israel Isaiah 46:11-13.
Do we hear the voice of the Lord? Do we believe?
“I believe You, Lord.”
Aloud we proclaim Your Word. Our faith in increased. We are being changed.
Unless the LORD builds the house they labor in vain who build it Psalm 127:1.
Unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is vain for you to rise early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep.
Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is His reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. they shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate Psalm 127.
Moving forward in the Song of Ascents. Psalm 128:
Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways.
When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table.
Behold, thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you out of Zion, And may you see the good of Jerusalem All the days of your life. Yes, may you see your children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel!
Life might be messy, but with the LORD, it will be blessed!
Blessings come in many ways. Often by trial and hardship. They’re the good things that draw me closer and closer to the Lord. The pain brings remembrance of Him:
Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed 1 Peter 2:24.
In this collage of God’s Word and Psalms and hymns, I share encouragement from a Traditional Spiritual written in about 1800, There Is a Balm in Gilead:
There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole; There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.
Sometimes I feel discouraged, And think my work’s in vain, But then the Holy Spirit Revives my soul again.
If you can’t preach like Peter, If you can’t pray like Paul Just tell the love Jesus, And say He died for all.
Step by step we journey, fixed on the Author and Finisher of our souls. He speaks, . . .
with each step we’ve all been given privilege to choose:
See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess Deuteronomy 30: 15,16.
But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. Deuteronomy 30: 17,18.
This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.Deut. 30: 19,20.
Who will repeat His Word back to Him in faith and believing: “I chose life, so that me and my children may live. That we might love You, Lord God, and listen to Your voice, and hold fast to You.
For You, Lord are my life, and You give me many years in the land . . .
Ravi Zacharias spoke from the Book of Nehemiah to a group of missionaries many years ago.
His final encouragement, a memorized prayer written in the 1700’s by Charles Wesley, became my primary take-away:
O Thou Who camest from above, The pure celestial fire t’ impart, Kindle a flame of sacred love On the mean altar of my heart.
There let it for Thy glory burn With inextinguishable blaze, And trembling to its source return, In humble prayer and fervent praise.
Jesus, confirm my heart’s desire To work and speak and think for Thee; Still let me guard the holy fire, And still stir up Thy gift in me.
Ready for all Thy perfect will, My acts of faith and love repeat, Till death Thy endless mercies seal, And make my sacrifice complete.
Today, I’d like to work on memorizing this outstanding prayer, that it remain in my remembrance.
As we walk through a world-wide pandemic together, each has their own set of circumstance, yet we all have grief of loss. Each of us, are pressing through loss.
Shall we not walk up to Jerusalem, the city of our God, so to speak, with the song of Ascents, with newly kindled hearts?
I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven. As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us his mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us, Psalm 123:1-3.
The Living Words revive us by giving us a place to look outside ourselves, our governments, our world.
Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith Hab 2:4.
Apart from God we’re nothing. He graciously, through the blood atonement of His Son, grants mercy to those who believe.
Can we hear the voice of John the Baptist crying in the wilderness of our hearts today,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
Today . . .
Behold with me? Shall we confess our sins, each quietly to Him?
“And trembling to its Source return in humble prayer and fervent praise.”
“Jesus confirm my hearts desire to work and speak and think for Thee. Still let me guard Thy Holy Fire and still stir up Thy gifts in me.
Ready for all Thy Perfect will, my acts of faith and love repeat, ’till death Thy endless mercy seal and make my sacrifice complete.
May we open God’s Word and proclaim A Song of Ascents together:
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them Psalm 126.
O Thou Who camest from above, The pure celestial fire t’ impart, Kindle a flame of sacred love On the mean altar of my heart.
