July 5, 2020
For the next 15 days we will be reading through the Psalms of Ascent together as a church! The Psalms of Ascent are a collection of 15 psalms (Psalms 120-134) that pilgrims would sing on their way up to Jerusalem to worship. These songs are meant to instruct and prepare the hearts of the traveler to worship the Lord! As sojourners and aliens in this world, we too need to have our hearts prepared for and instructed in the worship of our God. Let’s meditate on these psalms and allow the Spirit of the Lord to move us to true worship as we seek Him together!
In this psalm the pilgrims recall a past time when the Lord showed His mercy on His people, restoring their fortunes, and plead with Him to do a similar work in their own day! They speak of how they could hardly believe the way that the Lord had come through for them (v.2), and how this act of mercy and restoration even acted as a witness to the surrounding pagan nations (v.3)!
The psalmist then asks the Lord to restore their fortunes once again as He had done in the past. He asks for the Lord to bless the year’s harvest so that weeping will turn into shouts of joy (v.5)!
The church has seen the Lord move in powerful ways to bring revival, renewal, and restoration throughout its history. We have every reason to cry out to the Lord to do it again and, in so doing, to ask in confidence and faith that He will respond!
God has been faithful and merciful in the past, and because of that we have every reason to trust that He will do so in the present and in the future! Let’s seek for revival and renewal to visit our hearts, our families, our communities, and our churches with this kind of faith!
Psalm 126
Restore Our Fortunes, O Lord
A Song of Ascents.
126 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us;
we are glad.
4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like streams in the Negeb!
5 Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
6 He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Family Discussion Question:
- How does God’s past faithfulness and mercy towards us change the way that we approach Him in prayer or the way in which we depend on Him day by day?
Dear Heavenly Father,
I am moved to worship and praise You daily, especially when I hear great hymns that I grew up with like “How Great is Thy Faithfulness “. I am filled with great emotion when I am reminded of the words
which say, ” morning by morning new mercies I see, all I have needed thy hand hath provided, great is thy faithfulness , Oh Lord unto me.” The writer of this song says it so beautifully….”Thou changeth not, Thy companions they fail not, as Thou hast been,Thou forever will be. ” These words reflect my true feelings as well and I find such peace and hope through these verses. Thank you for being such an awesome God. I will forever sing Your praises. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Let my mouth be filled with laughter, and my tongue with shouts of joy. The Lord has done great things for me. I am glad.
Remember we will never reap anything if the seeds stay in the basket. We must sow the seeds of the GOSPEL in order for there to be a bountiful harvest! Let’s be faithful sowers of the SEED!
Thank you Lord for the things of the past you have done for me and what you are continuing doing everyday in my life.
AMEN and HALLELUJAh!! Lord I come to you in prayer to thank you for all the blessings you have given me and the blessings yet to come. You have helped me with my past and brought out of my past. You help me everything. You have answered every prayer. But most of all you are always there when I need you. In Jesus name I pray Amen
Dear Heavenly Father, I praise you and thank you for your faithfulness and enduring mercy. You are almighty and your goodness and promises are everlasting. Praise to you in the highest. In the name of your son, Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.
Knowing how much God loves us should give us the confidence to lay our burdens, our joys, our sorrows, our very lives at His feet. He is an eternally loving Father. Rest in His love!!!!
Thank you Father for blessing me & my family & for keeping us safe during these trying times. Please help our country to turn back to you & heal our land. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Amen!
You are faithful, Father. This I know. You have been, are, and forever will be!! I put my hope and trust in Thee. May I, in turn, be a faithful servant. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen
Well said Amen!
The Lord has done GREAT things for all of us. We need to remember God’s blessings and keep planting the seeds of salvation in everyone we come in contact with during these days.
In answer to the “Question for family discussion,” I reflect on how God has always guided, protected, and been with me as I experienced frequent “deployments” in my life as a member of a military family! It has been a part of God’s plan to mold, develop, and make who I am today! I thank Him for this. It has made me NOT dependent on PEOPLE but on GOD!
Thank you Lord for your faithfulness, your love, your mercy. Thank you for loving a sinner such as I. Thank you for your provisions which never fails me. Thank you for your creation we enjoy every day. In your son’s name I pray, Amen
Count your blessings……..Name them one by one. The Lord has done great things for us! Amen.
Thank you God for being a God of restoration. Thank you for making me whole, for the relationship you want for me and that I can have with you and others.
These restoration of blessings process is simple but yet not so easy in practice. We must seek God, confess our sins both individually and nationally and repent of our sins. We quote this verse freely but either don’t understand the implications or are unwilling to do so. Meanwhile, God’s judgments fall. The church handles adversity better than prosperity, unfortunately.