There are 150 Psalms in the Bible. There are a variety of Psalm styles including Psalms of Praise, Songs of Thanksgiving,Songs of Zion, Songs of the Temple and Liturgy, Laments, Prayers, Petition, Trust, Wisdom, Songs about the Law, Royalty Songs and Imprecatory songs. One set of Psalms are called Songs of Ascent. The comprise 10% of the Psalms ranging from Psalm 120-134. These 15 Psalms are believed to have been sung during the three pilgrimages – Passover and Pentecost in the Spring and Tabernacles in the Autumn. As the Israelites ascended Mt. Zion and the Temple they were climbing to gather to worship so these were known as Songs of Ascents.
It is also believed that these 15 Psalms were sung by the priests as they climbed the 15 steps leading up to the temple.
if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us,
3
they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us;
4
the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us,
5
the raging waters would have swept us away.
6
Praise be to the Lord, who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
7
We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped.
8
Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
This Psalm celebrates the source of their help when they came under attack from their enemies. Their source of help and protection is the Lord. Every time they gathered to celebrate these festivals in Jerusalem they remembered God’s saving hand.
For we Christians, we have no physical temple to make a pilgrimage to 3 times a year, but we gather each week to celebrate the different ways God saves us. Our help truly comes from the Lord.
I hope you regularly pray this Song of Ascents and with gratitude give thanks to God for his help and care.
-Pastor Jeff Fletcher
Reflection Questions
What does the Psalmist thank God for that did NOT happen to them – because the Lord was at their side? We often worry about what could happen – but how much time do we spend thanking God for what didn’t happen?
Today what will you thank God for that didn’t happen? How will you remember God’s care for you and for others?
What do you like to listen to when you travel? How can your song selection help or hinder your thanks to and worship of God?
How can you celebrate and share with others what God has done?
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a sneak attack on Israel. Nearly 1200 Israelis were killed. 251 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive and held hostage by Hamas.
This was not the first time Israel had been the victim of an attack and taken captive by enemies. They were enslaved by the Egyptians thousands of years ago. They were taken into exile by the Babylonians nearly 3000 years ago. They were attacked and occupied by the Romans and their Temple was destroyed and they went into the diaspora almost 2000 years ago. They were victims of the Holocaust nearly 100 years ago when nearly 6 million Jews were murdered in gas chambers.
Psalm 122 was one of many Psalms that were prayed by the Jewish people during many of these numerous times of attack and war.
Psalm 122. A song of ascents. Of David.
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.
This Psalm is a prayer for peace in Jerusalem. It is a prayer that God’s people will live in security and protection. Today we pray for the Peace of Jerusalem. True and lasting peace will not come to Jerusalem until the Messiah, God’s anointed King, our savior Jesus Christ returns. When Jesus returns there will be Peace in Jerusalem and eventually Peace on earth in God’s Kingdom.
Let us continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Let us pray for the release of those being held captive.
Pastor Jeff Fletcher
Reflection Questions
Compare and contrast Jerusalem, including it’s history and current situation, to that of the New Jerusalem we recently read about in the final chapters of Revelation. What causes the differences and the similarities?
How often do you pray for the peace of Jerusalem? Would adding a visual reminder to your home or device help you remember?
How might you be able to seek the good and prosperity of Jerusalem?
How often do you pray for the coming of the New Jerusalem and pray for its occupants, that those you know will be ready – recognized as the people of God, wearing white and not left outside?
When’s the last time you paid God a compliment? We all like to be complimented, even if it’s just about our new shoes, nice watch, or friendly smile. In Psalm 119:129 we see a beautiful example of a compliment to God. The psalmist says, “Your statutes are wonderful…” What a beautiful place to connect with our God in relationship. Often the distractions that infiltrate every aspect of our lives, push out what should be a natural response to the greatness and goodness of God.
What naturally follows from the fact that God’s statutes are wonderful is that we obey them. That is what the Psalmist says, “… therefore I obey them.” This is something I have found hard to do with all that the world has to offer. On the outside the world’s handouts appear innocuous, but they are often a distraction that take us off course from following God, or even acknowledging Him. Is God our priority? Do we love and cling to his word? Are we ready to obey him?
“The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” (Psalm 119:130 NIV) The first part of the verse uses the well-known example of light representing good. (Sorry Star Wars fans, the light versus dark paradigm predates George Lucas by a few thousand years.) We also see that God’s word can be understood by the simple-minded. You do not need your PhD to discern the light that the Bible contains. All you need is a heart longing for God and a willingness to open his word.
In verse 131 the psalmist uses the metaphor of opening one’s mouth and panting to show the severity of how much he longs for God’s commands and authority. And yet, it is more than just commands and rules to be followed but it is about a relationship with God.
In verse 132 we see that he imparts grace to those who love him. Earlier in the Old Testament we see examples of when people did not love his name but rather chose to follow a path without God. A doozy being Sodom and Gomorrah when God not only withheld grace but also doled out punishment for the sin of the city by obliterating the whole place.
The psalmist shows his heartbreaking emotion for the people who do not keep his law. Everyone who has experienced God’s changing power within them knows the heart aching emotion the psalmist is going through. God is the center of all creation, the source of true happiness, and the one we should be living for.
-Bridger Grable
Reflection Questions
How does the Psalmist compliment God? How can you compliment God today?
What is the Psalmist’s response to God? What is your response to God today?
Which verse in today’s section of Psalm 119 would you like to post in your home and work on memorizing?
“For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us.” — Isaiah 33:22 NIV
Hate is a strong word. I tend to avoid using it because it feels so absolute. There’s no wiggle room for love when you use the word hate. Sure, I don’t love waiting in the drive thru of McDonald’s for half an hour when I only ordered a large number 7 with a Diet Coke, but I do love listening to Spotify. In thirty minutes I can listen to maybe ten songs, and those ten streams made the lucky artist approximately $0.04! It’s all about perspective… (I was not lovin’ it)
Verse 13 in Psalm 119 makes two things absolutely clear, “I hate double-minded people, but I love your law.” I put the reference to Isaiah at the top of this post because today’s selection of poetry calls to mind one of the titles we use to address God: the Judge. Lawful diction is used throughout the passage with words like statutes, decrees, and commands. We are reminded that our God is a just one, so imagine the blessings in store for us if we keep on choosing to honor the laws he laid out for our life.
If that doesn’t light a fire under you, then I recommend rereading the end of the selection, which states, “You reject all who stray from your decrees, for their delusions come to nothing. All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross; therefore I love your statutes. My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws.” (Psalm 119: 118-120 NIV)
There are two sides on the coin of justice. I don’t always know which side my decisions land on but I know that I don’t want to be rejected by Him, so it’s important to continue studying Scripture and to develop a relationship with the Lord. Then we can stop relying on probability, flipping a coin with every choice, and just rest in his sustaining power.
— Austin Kizer
Reflection Questions
Are there areas of your life that have “wiggle room” for more of the Lord? Consider how you can invite God into those moments and listen for Him.
It’s easy to focus on our wrongdoings, so ponder and celebrate times you felt like you brought honor to God. How are you honoring the Lord on a daily basis?
What “evildoers” do you need to stay away from? How are you keeping up your shield and taking refuge in Him?
We see that God has founded the earth and established himself on it. God’s reign will not perish, and His words won’t be changed. The Psalm says “Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.” (Psalm 119: 89 ESV). This is something that is easy to forget as we live our busy lives. He made the earth, and he is still here, performing works all the time. He has given us the ability through prayer to connect with him and access his presence.
In verse ninety one the psalmist writes “By your appointment they stand this day for all things are your servants.” As God’s creation, we are made to love God and follow his commandments just as a son should love and obey his father. As the scriptures later reveal through Jesus, our lives should be a constant act of servitude towards God. The Psalmist wants to bring glory to God through the obedience of the law. We should conform our lives to God’s will by following His commandments.
“If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction”(Psalm 119:92 ESV) He made laws and commandments not out of selfish reasoning to show his dominion over us but for our good. Just as a parent tells their child not to touch the stove when it is hot, God likewise gave his people commandments to protect them. It is not hard to see in modern culture what it looks like when we mess up. Living our lives selfishly, not following God’s Law. The world stays in turmoil with great nations constantly at war, families being divided, and sin taking over. It Has been like this since The Fall in Genesis 3. If we follow God’s word, he will bless us and be with us.
-Bridger Grable
Hi, my name is Bridger Grable. I am 19 years old and live in Southern California. I have 8 siblings so it’s always a party at my house. I love hiking and the outdoors.
Reflection Questions
How can you keep in mind today that God and His word are firmly fixed in the heavens? What can happen when we forget this?
How can you bring glory to God through obeying His Word today?
Is God’s law your delight? Explain what that does (or would) look like? What afflictions can you handle better when His law is your delight?
Have you ever stopped to think about idolatry? In the ancient world, many groups of people would literally make statues out of wood or metal. They would sacrifice animals to these idols. They would pray to these made up, created things.
The Psalmist talks at length about the silliness of such behavior, especially in the context of worshipping the actual Creator of the Universe:
Psalm 115:3-7 (ESV)
3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
5 They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.
6 They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.
7 They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat.
The point is clear: idols look like they can speak, see, hear, smell, feel, walk, and talk, but they cannot. They offer something that is not real. It’s a mirage. It’s a false comfort. Worshipping that way is meaningless.
What does this have to do with us, you might ask? I don’t have an idol in my house. I don’t worship to anything made with hands.
Friends, I wish that was true. We still have idols today. They don’t frequently look like human images made of silver or gold. Perhaps they are other people. Perhaps they are the rectangular boxes we carry around in our pockets. Perhaps it’s our favorite sports team. Maybe it’s our job or our family. There are always things that vie for our allegiance and our attention.
Unlike the ancient idols, many of these things are not bad in themselves, as long as we walk in a balanced way. The balance begins, however, with total devotion to King Jesus. Full stop. End of story.
When we live unbalanced lives, we might find ourselves feeling more and more unsettled, anxious, or depressed. Living the way that God wants us to live does not guarantee a life free from those things, for sure, but the point remains: when our life is unbalanced, we get negative results. Just like the ancient people sacrificing to blind and mute forms of their own creation, we sometimes get too caught up in worldly things that take our minds in directions that are unhealthy and unhelpful.
As the Psalmist reminds us, the Lord is our help and shield. The Lord is the One who blesses us. The Lord is the one who is worthy of worship and honor. We shall praise the Lord!
-Will Barlow
Reflection Questions
Do you have things in your life that are idols or cause you to be unbalanced? What can you do to get back in balance?
Can you think of a time when you came out of a longer period of darkness and into light? How did that feel?
Can you think of a friend that has an obvious idol in their life? What can you do to help them find better balance? (Maybe telling the story from your answer in #2 could be a place to start.)
My family has a book at home called 52 Bible Words Every Kid Should Know by Carrie Mars, and this last week, we read about the word “Psalm.”
One thing that I appreciate about reading things like this with my children or putting together lessons for young kids (teaching preschool is my favorite), is just stopping to examine simply defined truths. When I personally go to classes, or small group, I do feel I gain things from those – a deeper understanding of things, an opportunity for discussion to hear other viewpoints, etc., but sometimes I miss the simple wonder like I had mentioned earlier this week.
When I am working on kid lessons or readings, they aren’t filled with the in-depth explanations or discussions, they are just boiled down, trying to give kids a foundation to grow from, and circling back to those things as an adult often touches me in a simple way.
In reading this book last week, it talked about how the Psalms show us how we can share all of our feelings with God. We feel lots of things at different times, and there are psalms that fit so many different feelings. We don’t have to just bring our good feelings before God – we can bring absolutely everything to Him. It ends with a simple prayer “God, I’m so glad I can tell You anything. I praise You for being so wonderful!” God is wonderful for so many things, and us being able to bring anything before Him is just one of those things.
So let’s look a little at this specific Psalm – the first verse is one that repeats in other psalms (and repeats slightly altered throughout this one), and is a popular (if somewhat older) song:
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
It is simple; it is basic. But God is good! And He isn’t good the way we might call someone a “good” person. He is really, truly, and fully good, and one of the most amazing things is that He loves us and that love will last forever. This isn’t a revolutionary concept if you have been a Christian for a while, but it is a simple truth that can astound you when you stop to think about that.
If you were going to teach that to a child, you would break it down, emphasize how God’s good far surpasses ours, and emphasize how amazing His love is – get them excited about it! As adults, I find we have heard those things so many times that we often gloss over them, but stop and think. The great, amazing, good God of the universe loves you, and that love is perfect, and lasts forever.
When I truly stop and think about that, it just blows my mind. And thinking about that makes it so easy to give thanks to the LORD for who He is.
The psalm ends with this verse:
“Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the LORD.”
So this is my suggestion to you – slow down, view it through the simplicity of a child’s eyes, and consider the great love of the LORD.
~Stephanie Fletcher
Reflection Questions
What feelings will you bring before God today? Are there some feelings you have that you typically don’t bring to Him?
Make a list of what God does in Psalm 107. In this psalm how do we see God displaying His love? Which ones apply to you? How else could you describe what God has done for you? How will you give thanks to God for His love and mercy?
How many times does this Psalm tell us that the thankful redeemed tell others about God’s love and what He has done?
How would you describe God’s love and mercy to a child you know? How would you describe His love to an adult? What and how can you share at church about God’s love? Outside of church, who and how can you tell about God’s love?
Our family loves camping and traveling and finding new places to hike or kayak through God’s beautiful world. The variety of his creation is truly amazing! Desert, forest, plains, mountain, ocean. We love them all and the chance to explore a new little corner of His world we haven’t seen yet. And, along the way, trying to capture a photo to remind us of the beauty and creativity we had the privilege to see.
Psalm 104 is a beautiful poem of creation. I would love to make a photo book or photo wall with pictures from our family hikes and travels depicting each verse and phrase.
“he stretches out the heavens like a tent” (vs 2) – expansive blue sky from horizon to horizon
“He makes the clouds his chariot” (vs 3) – white and multi-shades of gray amazing textured rolling clouds with shafts of sunlight shining through with the brilliant blue sky behind
“He makes springs pour water into the ravines” – hot springs bubbling from the ground and flowing down the mountain side
You get the idea. There would be photos of waterfalls, lightening, mountaintops, ocean waves on the shore, rainstorms, the moon, plants and animals, sunrises, sea creatures, and people. Each one accompanied with God’s text.
I recently taught a unit on creation to the adorable children in children’s church. And it was so much fun spending a week (or often more) on each aspect of God’s amazing creation. We brought in shells and rocks and leaves and bird feathers to touch and play with. We matched plant photos to foods we eat and counted plant products in ingredient labels. (Do you know how many plants are in a box of Cheerios or mac’n cheese?) We classified plants and animals and brought in a bird expert. We watched videos and explored books on clouds and planets and sea creatures and the animal kingdom and the incredible human body. And all the things that we take for granted everyday.
Not only is God’s world a beautiful world – but so incredibly functional, too! He thought of EVERYTHING! The more I learn of science and the human body in particular, the more I am amazed at His creation.
I have never made anything nearly as intricate or useful as the smallest, tiniest, most simplistic, most ‘insignificant’ part of God’s creation. But, I do like to create quilts – little scraps of colored fabric (which came from a cotton plant) sewn together in patterns to make a cozy cover to bring comfort and warmth. I can’t imagine how I would feel if I were to meet someone who explained that those quilts just came to be one day – that it grew from nothing and became strings that wove themselves together and the fabrics cut themselves into the perfect shapes and even stitches magically formed just as they were needed to piece the top together and the materials used to create the final layered project appeared at just the right time and space and lined up just so to automatically go through the final steps to create my quilt. Foolishness. It is foolishness that leaves out the thought, intention, desire, creativity, vision, purpose and ability of me, the quilt creator. Or, equally painful – maybe they would give all the credit for the making of the quilt to another.
It makes sense that the Creator of the Heavens and Earth wants us to enjoy and admire His creation – and give Him all the credit He so much deserves. But, what happens when people don’t? What happens when they take away the glory that belongs to God and call it chance instead or give it to another? What happens when they refuse to listen to God’s words – His first recorded words being – “Let there be light”? What happens when they attribute God’s creation to another? We see in the book of Jeremiah. “These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt—completely useless!” Jeremiah goes on in today’s reading to describe the drought, famine and sword that will be used in judgment of those who have stubbornly turned from God. Jeremiah 14 ends with God telling Jeremiah to speak to the people, telling them to acknowledge their guilt and wickedness and sins against Him and ask God to remember His covenant. The final verse of chapter 14 says,
“Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers? No, it is you, Lord our God. Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this.” (vs 22 NIV)
Not only did Our Great God create this world for us – He made a covenant with us – He has power still today – and He holds out a blessed hope for those who acknowledge and worship Him for all He has done, is doing and will do.
Thank you God for your incredible Creation – help me see and appreciate each amazing part!
Thank you God for the rains today – help me see you at work today!
Thank you God for the hope you set before those who believe and worship you alone – a New Heavens and Earth that will be beyond all we can ever dream or imagine!
You are our hope – for you are the one who does all this!
-Marcia Railton
(taken from a devotion originally posted here on Oct 12, 2021)
Reflection Questions
What do you love most about God’s creation? What do you often take for granted in His creation? In your opinion what are some of the most useful things He created? What are some of the most creative things He created?
What have you created? Has anyone ever disregarded your creation or the part you played in its creation? What are the biggest problems with the theory of evolution?
Looking at the final verses of Psalm 104 (verses 31-35), what response to all that God has done does the psalmist have – and also ask for? What response does he expect, ask or look for from God? What response do you have to God’s creation?
Today is our fifth and final day of our questioning look into Psalm 103. So far we have spent some time looking at God’s character, love, compassion, righteousness, justice, forgiveness and eternal qualities as well as mankind’s sin, gifts from God, frailty, brief existence, and duty to praise, fear and obey God. We have been looking at God’s relationship with man, and man’s relationship with God, here on earth, which is the view of God we are most familiar with. But today we have an interesting conclusion to Psalm 103 as the focus of our eyes shifts and looks up and up and up and up…
VERSE 19 – Where is God’s throne? How far is heaven above the earth? (Oh, never mind, we already covered that two days ago when David had us asking how deep is the Father’s love for those who fear Him.) What does the Bible teach us about heaven? What does the world tell us about heaven and how are the two views very different? (You might be interested in doing a word study on heaven in the Bible and see what you find.) Who established the Lord’s throne? What does God’s kingdom rule over? Have you ever participated in a Take Your Child to Work Day? Consider how it could open the eyes of the child to see this whole new side of Dad and what he can do, and does do, and the associates he works with, and who listens to him, and what he spends his day doing when he goes off to work. How could this same thought apply to you and I getting a glimpse of God in His heavenly throne room? How might your view of God change if you witnessed His throne room, everything He did at work, and the authority He has over the heavenly host?
VERSE 20 – Who is instructed to praise God in this verse? What does the Bible teach us about angels? What does the world tell us about angels and how are the two views very different? What description is used for the angels in this verse? What are the angels doing, besides being told to praise? What are some Biblical examples of angels doing God’s bidding? How often do you pause to consider what is going on in heaven right now? What jobs might God be handing out to His angels today? What other verses can you find about the work God’s angels do for God?
VERSE 21 – Do we have any new information in this verse or is David saying the same thing as the previous verse using different words? What is the parallel between mighty ones (in verse 20) and servants (in verse 21)? What is the parallel between obeying His word (in verse 20) and doing His will (in verse 21)? Do you think this applies to human servants of God and God’s will for humans as well as for angelic servants?
VERSE 22 – Who is told to praise the Lord in this verse? Who and what does that include? What are God’s works? Does it include you? What is His dominion? Does it include you? How does this psalm end? How did it begin? How will you praise the Lord today? What will you be envisioning as you praise the Lord? Why are you praising the Lord?
What thoughts and feelings or other questions do you have after reading verses 19-22? What is the value of picturing God in the heavens? Why do you think David included these 4 verses as the conclusion of Psalm 103?
What is your biggest take away from Psalm 103 as a whole? Have you gained anything from your time in Psalm 103? What might God want to show you in Psalm 104?
Welcome to the 4th day of questions on Psalm 103. Yesterday we focused our questions on verses 11-14, looking at God’s love, forgiveness, and compassion as well as the incredible facts that, “he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:14). This verse says so much about God – and about man. The next couple verses continue on the topic of mankind.
VERSE 15 – Why do you think David compared man’s days to grass – what are the similarities? If you compared yourself to a flower of the field which kind of flower in what field would you be most like? Why? What might make the flower flourish? What else could have David compared man to? What ideas about mankind was David using poetry to explain? How might a scientist or a psychologist have explained these same ideas?
VERSE 16 – What happens to the flourishing flower of verse 15 in verse 16? What does David say caused this to happen? What do you think the wind symbolizes? What do you think of when you think of a flourishing flower suddenly gone? What emotions come with these thoughts? What do you feel when you read the second line of verse 16? What truths are David expressing in a poetic form?
VERSE 17 – What do the words, “But from everlasting to everlasting…” mean? What changes as we go from verse 16 to 17? How is God different from mankind? Is the Lord’s love for one generation more so than another? In what other verses in Psalm 103 have we seen a similar thought as we see in the first half of verse 17? What would it look like for God’s righteousness to be with your grandchildren? Will His righteousness be with ALL grandchildren? If not, then with whose? Do you fear the Lord? (Interestingly, this concept of fearing the Lord – and instructing others to do the same – came up in our Old Testament reading for the day as well. Did you find it in 2 Chronicles 26? How were similar ideas shared in the New Testament reading of 2 Timothy 4?) Do people just automatically know how to fear the Lord? What happens if it is not taught? If you do fear the Lord, who do you know that you want to see also fearing the Lord?
VERSE 18 – Who is verse 18 referring to? Who do you picture as part of this group? Are you included? What do they do? What will they receive (see verse 17)? What is a covenant? Do you have a covenant with the Lord God? If so, what does it say you will do? What does it say God will do? What are precepts? How is your memory? Do you remember to obey his precepts? When did you recently forget to obey and which precept did it involve? How can you work on further developing your memory so as not to forget God’s laws? What else is needed to stand firm against temptation?
What did you take away from these 4 verses? How will you live today because of them? Who will you share these truths with?
Seek Grow Love 