The Lord is righteous!

Psalm 129:1–8 (ESV):  

1  “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”— 

let Israel now say— 

 2  “Greatly 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 has cut the cords of the wicked. 

 5  May all who hate Zion 

be put to shame and turned backward! 

 6  Let them be like the grass on the housetops, 

which withers before it grows up, 

 7  with which the reaper does not fill his hand 

nor the binder of sheaves his arms, 

 8  nor do those who pass by say, 

“The blessing of the Lord be upon you! 

We bless you in the name of the Lord!” 

It is not unusual for the people of God to suffer. Israel, even from the conception of the nation can rightly say, ‘Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth’. Israel has always had enemies. As the favoured people of God, ungodly people have railed against them. Consider all that this nation has gone through. They have wandered, been to war, exiled more than once, been ransacked, derided, and invaded. They have known what it is like to be; refugees and captives, winners and losers, in the favour, and displeasure of God. So they are right to say that through every generation, they have been greatly afflicted. Even to the point that, ‘the plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows’. What a piece of imagery of the pain and persecution that Israel have undergone. Even though they have experienced this level of intense suffering from the hands of enemies, Israel can say ‘they have not prevailed against me’. That is powerful. The whole nation of Israel can honestly say that they have been persecuted and experienced excruciating physical, spiritual and emotional pain, yet the enemy has never won. Why? Because ‘The Lord is righteous’! 

The people of God once only the people of Israel, now known as the church, will experience great suffering, pain and persecution. Nothing has changed, the people of God have ungodly enemies so they will suffer. Yet they can also say, although we have been greatly afflicted the enemy has not and will not prevail! Why? Because the Lord is still righteous! 

The survival of God’s people and their growth has very little to do with the people themselves. It has everything to do with the favour and righteousness of God. God will always do what is right and ‘he has cut the cords of the wicked’. Evil has no ultimate power as Jesus put sin to death, therefore ‘the cords of the wicked’ have been severed. There is an end to the pain and suffering for God’s people,  so you can carry the hope of the promise that all wickedness shall cease, because ‘The Lord is righteous’. He will make sure that good will reign. 

The evil that seeks to undo the people of God will wither like grass on the rooftop (v6). It has no real influence, power, or longevity, even when evil plows deep furrows into your back in an attempt to break you. The enemy is seeking to prevail, but He has already been cut off and is withering! The people of God throughout all history have been persecuted, yet the enemy has not yet prevailed! Instead, the church has spread far and wide and the gospel has been demonstrated and declared in many places across the globe. The people of God have increased, not decreased despite the plans of the wicked, why? Because ‘The Lord is righteous’!

Following God is good for you

 Psalm 128:1–6 (ESV):  

1  Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, 

who walks in his ways! 

 2  You shall eat the fruit of the labour of your hands; 

you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. 

 3  Your wife will be like a fruitful vine 

within your house; 

  your children will be like olive shoots 

around your table. 

 4  Behold, thus shall the man be blessed 

who fears the Lord. 

 5  The Lord bless you from Zion! 

May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem 

all the days of your life! 

 6  May you see your children’s children! 

Peace be upon Israel! 

Following God is good for you. It naturally carries a blessing, just like an obedient child experiences the favour of their parents. Not that the child is preferred, but their good behaviour and character are appreciated, and so they know favour and blessing from their parents, rather than correction and discipline. The same goes for you in your relationship with God. If you walk in His ways and live in awe of Him, then you will be blessed.

Fearing God means living under His authority and being in reverence of Him. Doing so affects all parts of your life; work, marriage, relationships, values, goals, and the influence you have on future generations. Your relationships are affected because you are someone who fears God. This psalm tells how your wife will be ‘fruitful’ meaning that she will develop, grow and invest in others. Your children are like ‘olive shoots’ - they require tender care, but they have the potential to become strong, robust olive trees. This psalm just mentions two of the types of relationships you can have, and as you can see, there is a promise of blessing, growth and fruitfulness when you put God first. Following God is good for you, for those you live with, care about and invest in. 

‘You shall eat the fruit of the labour of your hands, you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you’. What a great assurance! As someone who lives God’s way, God gives you work to do, and it will go well. This does not promise that it will be easy, the word ‘labour’ implies putting in effort! Yet you can be assured that through your work, you will be provided for and 'it shall be well with you'. God has things for you to do, you have the privilege of working, whether for money or not. It could be home-based, voluntary, in the community, in business or industry, it doesn’t matter. God has provided work for you to do, have you ever considered that the opportunity to work is a gift from God? God has given you the chance to, 'eat the fruit of the labour of your hands'. He has created you to be useful, productive and provide for yourself. Following God in the way you work is good for you, because it leads to your provision, but it will also be good for those you work with and the organisation. For, if your workload is blessed, other people benefit, profits are made and good reputation is built. 

Yet, above all of this, the first thing that this psalm states is, ‘blessed is everyone who fears the Lord’. Regardless of your family situation or work situation, if you are someone who lives life following God, you are blessed! It doesn't always feel like it, but you have to remember that God is not looking at the immediate. Following God is good for you, now and long-term. You have the blessing of the freedom from sin, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and an eternal hope. As well as the internal security, peace, comfort and strength that comes from following God's ways. Obedience to God carries a blessing now and forever. Are you aware of the blessings in your life now, and for eternity?

Although following God is good for you, it is not easy, otherwise everyone would do it. You have to persevere, be willing to change and do the things you don't want to, plus you have to patiently wait for the blessing sometimes. Just like a child waiting for their birthday. The blessing will come, but you need to wait, and keep trusting that God will give you good things. He will bless you in your work, in your family, and through the generations. Keep following, trusting and believing in Him and His Word and wait for ‘blessed is everyone who fears the Lord’. How do you see that God has blessed you today?

Is God your co-worker?

 Psalm 127:1–5 (ESV):  

1  Unless the Lord builds the house, 

those who build it labour in vain. 

  Unless the Lord watches over the city, 

the watchman stays awake in vain. 

 2  It is in vain that you rise up early 

and go late to rest, 

  eating the bread of anxious toil; 

for he gives to his beloved sleep. 

 3  Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, 

the fruit of the womb a reward. 

 4  Like arrows in the hand of a warrior 

are the children of one’s youth. 

 5  Blessed is the man 

who fills his quiver with them! 

  He shall not be put to shame 

when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. 

Whether you are building something, or watching over something or someone, you cannot do it well if you’re doing it without God! It doesn’t matter if you are building something big or small, or if you are watching over one person, a family, community, or a city, don’t do it without inviting God into the situation. Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived, had discovered that doing life without God ‘it is in vain’. Through his considerations and research, he noticed that if you are working hard, trying to figure out problems and using your own capacity to complete the load, there is no satisfaction, rest or success because God is not involved. This does not mean that you should do nothing, this psalm isn’t about being idle. Solomon clearly expects there to be some kind of work for you to do. His insight is to get on with it WITH God. For God has given you tasks to get on with, people to care about and things to build, but not on your own. Your daily endeavours should be a co-partnership with The Lord God Almighty. Are you taking your load, and are you allowing God to take His?

Often people are stressed, overworked and anxious because they feel the weight of responsibility for whatever it is they are tasked with. They work hard to figure out solutions, wonder about progressing, how to fix or build things, and solve people’s problems. They rightly care about whatever it is they are doing for God has given them that opportunity. The problem is that people can forget that God was involved in providing this work, and the influence they have there, instead they think that it all depends on them. For those who are not yet believers in God, it is true that the workload is dependent on their capacity, kindness, strength and knowledge. They have to rely on their own abilities, for who else is there to help them? As a believer, you are not in the same position. You have a very capable, creative, understanding and powerful co-worker. The question is, are you using Him? Are you doing what you need to do with God, or working as hard as you can alone?

It is easy to slip into just getting on with it, using your own capabilities and capacity, only thinking to invite God in when it gets tough. If this is the case for you, Solomon is telling you that you are working ‘in vain’. You could have God’s help, strength and advice all of the time! Think about having God present and active in your workplace, home or community - can you imagine what would happen, the rapport between workmates, the breakthroughs in situations, the favour and success? Are you allowing this to happen, or are you getting in the way, by doing it all yourself?

Think about this; when you are relying on your own abilities, even if you have great capacity and skills, they are pretty small when compared to God. When you rely on your own strength and capacity, it is minuscule in comparison to the strength of the Lord. So you are going to suffer, and quite possibly make things worse, when you do not allow God room to participate with you. You can get up early and go to bed late in order to get things done, you can lose sleep, fret over situations and work as hard as you can, but for what?! It is in vain. When you do things by yourself, because you feel you can handle it, or you want to achieve something yourself, that is pride (vanity). You were never designed to work alone. Neglecting to work alongside God makes your life harder. It also isn’t very successful and leads to ‘anxious toil’ and sleeplessness (v2). You were designed to work alongside the Lord, not instead of Him. You are allowed to not worry and to rest. 

If what you are doing causes you stress and worry, like it does for everyone else, how are you any different to those who do not have God in their lives? Resting and working knowing that God is with you will help you avoid anxious toil, being overburdened and losing sleep. In whatever you have to do, you need to allow space for God to reveal Himself. If you are busy doing everything, how much are you allowing God to do? and how are you demonstrating your faith in Him? Remind yourself that God can do all things, you can’t. God gives you responsibility, work to do, and people to lead, but you do not have full authority or responsibility, He does. God desires that you share the load with Him, then you can rest and work well. With such a powerful co-worker, imagine what could happen.

Are you glad?

 Psalm 126:1–6 (ESV):  

1  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. 

You can only really appreciate what you have got when you have gone through times where you have suffered. This psalm tells of the dream-like joy the people of Israel felt when they returned to their homeland after being in captivity. They had suffered physically and emotionally, they had been apart from familiarity, their homes and community, their routines disrupted, and faith shaken. Then, God made it possible for them to return - can you begin to imagine the joy?! They laughed and shouted in happiness, acknowledging that ‘The Lord has done great things for us’! Suddenly the joy of reconciliation and restoration outstripped the pain of suffering and exile. This had now been exchanged for the joy of reunion and restoration of their souls, faith and homeland. The Israelites would not have experienced that extent of happiness if there had not been the sowing in tears (v5). The depths of misery that they had known meant they could really appreciate coming ‘home with shouts of joy’. How much more beautiful does home seem when you have been away for a while? Imagine that magnified, due to being forced from home and prevented from returning, having been held captive elsewhere. The Israelites experienced that as a whole nation, imagine the noise of their jubilation; the singing, dancing, laughter, shouts and cries of joy. 

Through this time of great gladness, the people could clearly see the hand of God. They did not just express exuberant joy over the changed circumstances, they also acknowledged and celebrated how the situation had changed. They knew this restoration could not have been possible without God. He had taught them, protected them, favoured them and led them home. Therefore He was at the centre of their celebrations. It was so obvious that God had transformed the circumstances for Israel, as even those ‘among the nations’ declare, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The successful deliverance of Israel had far-reaching impact among nations! The joy, protection, and restoration of God’s people travelled to unnamed nations so that those not of God’s people, those with different faiths and cultures, could see and appreciate that there had to be a God involved in this rescue mission! What an amazing acknowledgement - that things like this do not happen unless there is God involved. Miraculous, unbelievable, unmerited favour and deliverance can only be from the hand of God. This can be seen even by those who do not yet know Him, who seem far off. Yet they are observing the lives of the people of God, and they notice what happens, and how they respond. The Israelites' experience and reaction shows other people outside of the nation that these people - they have the favour of Almighty God with them! What do people notice as they observe your life, attitude and responses? 

Are you telling people the stories from your life that celebrate God’s favour? You have things that you can joyfully tell people, about God's goodness, love, grace and power. There are incredible blessings, times of favour and deliverance you have experienced, so do not be shy about telling others about them. Whether the hearers are believers or not. For your stories could influence others to also see that God is still doing great things for His people, because of the great things He has done for you. 

So, celebrate and allow yourself to be glad, laugh, and cry with joy, for ‘The Lord has done great things for us’. Even when you are in a season of sorrow, lack or difficulty, you can be certain that there is a joy to come. This psalm explains that you will sow tears, lose fortunes, you will weep and mourn. Yet you will also bear fruit, sow seed, shout with joy, laugh and know abundance! All because of the love and favour of God! So, whether your season is one of joy or sorrow, keep your eyes fixed on Him and live to earn His favour. You don’t want to miss out on the shouts of joy, singing, dancing and laughing because life got hard and you turned your back on God, do you? 

Mountain of God

 Psalm 125:1–5 (ESV):  

1  Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, 

which cannot be moved, but abides forever. 

 2  As the mountains surround Jerusalem, 

so the Lord surrounds his people, 

from this time forth and forevermore. 

 3  For the sceptre of wickedness shall not rest 

on the land allotted to the righteous, 

  lest the righteous stretch out 

their hands to do wrong. 

 4  Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, 

and to those who are upright in their hearts! 

 5  But those who turn aside to their crooked ways 

the Lord will lead away with evildoers! 

Peace be upon Israel! 

Those who believe in God are like a mountain - formidable, unmovable, and constant. God’s people have constancy and permanence, reassurance and companionship, because together they cannot be moved and they are going to withstand, forever! When you gather with other believers, you are joining something abiding and immoveable, constant and eternal. If you need permanence and reassurance in your life, surely this gives you inspiration and hope. God's people, His church are like a mountain, secure and everlasting. Since the beginning, there have been God' people on the Earth, and no matter the problems, persecution and temptations that come, there is always a faithful remnant that remain as solid, faithful and constant as a mountain. Are you one such believer?

Not only are the people of God a magnificent mountain, but they also have the certainty and protection of God supporting and surrounding them too, as God is described in this psalm as a range of mountains (v1-2). God enhances His people’s solidarity as He provides security by His presence. He is bigger, greater and all encompassing, now and forever! God constantly and reliably surrounds His people for their security, safety and protection. This psalm provides an assurance of God’s continuous presence with His people. So, if you ever feel unsure or unsettled, recall to your mind that God’s people are ‘like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved', surrounded by the love and faithfulness of God 'forevermore'. 

Another guarantee in this psalm is that ‘the sceptre of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous’. There will be wickedness in existence, that is sure, but it does not have permission to become permanent in the places given to God’s people. Righteous people have an awareness of, and come across wickedness in their lives, yet they are not surrounded by it, for they are already surrounded - by the constant, protective, eternal Almighty God! Sometimes as God’s people, we forget that. It can be easy to see evil practices and wickedness, as it is different and unacceptable to the way of God, so it stands out like a stain on a garment. Yet, it is only a blot, and although noticeable does not effect the function of the garment. The stain can be removed, it is not permanent and does not need to effect the rest of the clothing. Sometimes we see wickedness as obviously as a stain, and focus on this, rather than looking at the stability and faithfulness of the godly believers. Those who are surrounded by the love, care and protection of the best stain remover there is! The reality, as described in this psalm, is that sin and wickedness are not permanent features in the 'land allotted to the righteous'. So do not get distracted by the influence of evil or the impact of sin. Do not get sidetracked yourself by doing what you know you shouldn't, but if you do, thank God that through Jesus every blot and stain can be removed from your life. It has no permanence for God has dealt with it all through Jesus' life, death and resurrection. Temptation is difficult to combat, but the New Testament promises us that when you ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you’ (James 4:7). Evil cannot remain amongst God’s people, although this psalm recognises that some will be ‘lead away with evildoers’. don’t let that be you - remain on the mountain, resist the devil, and remain faithful to God. It is up to you whether you remain within the mountain of believers, surrounded by the security of God's love, constancy and forgiveness, or ‘turn aside’ to the influences of evil around you. Righteousness leads to becoming a mountain with fellow believers. Going astray leads to instability and unrest. Where do you choose to dwell? Are you settling your life onto the mountain of believers, surrounded by the love, power and constancy of God? 

Is your help in the name of the Lord?

Psalm 124:1–8 (ESV):  

1  If it had not been the Lord who was on our side— 

let Israel now say— 

 2  if it had not been the Lord who was on our side 

when people rose up against us, 

 3  then they would have swallowed us up alive, 

when their anger was kindled against us; 

 4  then the flood would have swept us away, 

the torrent would have gone over us; 

 5  then over us would have gone 

the raging waters. 

 6  Blessed be the Lord, 

who has not given us 

as prey to their teeth! 

 7  We have escaped like a bird 

from the snare of the fowlers; 

  the snare is broken, 

and we have escaped! 

 8  Our help is in the name of the Lord, 

who made heaven and earth. 

You wouldn’t be where you are right now if it were not for God’s intervention. You wouldn’t have; survived, been as successful, as peaceful, as whole, or as strong as you are right now, if it were not for God’s hand upon your life. 

You may not feel strong, whole, mighty, free or at peace, but can you imagine what your life would be like if God wasn’t looking after you? Imagine what a mess you’d be in. You could be defeated, destroyed, in greater pain and distress, encompassed by sin, bound and swallowed up by anger. What kind of life would that be? Yet, ‘the snare has been broken’ and you have not been ‘swallowed up alive’! Not because of luck, your own quick thinking or actions, but because The Lord has been on your side. He has saved you from the ‘raging waters’, the full force of people’s anger, and you have escaped being prey ‘like a bird’ because your ‘help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.’

Therefore, thank God! Thank Him that He is on your side, and that He helps you, and all of His followers. He has not allowed you to be overcome or defeated, He has facilitated your escape from trouble on this Earth, as well as rescuing you from the wages of sin for eternity - ‘the snare is broken and we have escaped’! What an incredible promise! It is God who has done this, all of it! It is not your own ideas or capability, strength or knowledge that has helped you out of trouble, but God has saved you. God has healed you, protected you, recused you, intervened for you and saved you from the wages of sin! He has helped you in more ways than you can count. 

So, simply and honestly, all you need to do is thank Him. Show your gratitude, sing praise, give to him, tell stories, shout and cry in triumph if you want to! Store up the stories. remember and tell others of the times you have ‘escaped like a bird’.  Acknowledge that God is the greatest help you have. You wouldn’t be the person you are today, having accomplished and survived what you have ‘if it had not been the Lord who was on our side’. Hallelujah!

Is God your Master?

 Psalm 123:1–4 (ESV):   

To you I lift up my eyes, 

O you who are enthroned in the heavens! 

 2  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. 

 3  Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, 

for we have had more than enough of contempt. 

 4  Our soul has had more than enough 

of the scorn of those who are at ease, 

of the contempt of the proud. 

How do you look at God? 

Do you look at Him as your Master? 

There are many terms which can be used to refer to God, which demonstrate aspects of His character and His role in our lives such as; Lord, Father, King, Master, Almighty, I am. Which titles of God do you use? Think about how that develops your understanding and expectations of Him. For all of the titles used are helpful and significant in helping you relate to God. He is so different, and so much more perfect than any of your experiences of what a good version of these titles are. The beauty, love, majesty and power of who God is can be displayed through using all of these titles as they profile specific attributes. Yet, sometimes it is easier or more comfortable to just lean into one or two of these, and so you miss the whole beauty of who God is.

I know that in Western society we are comfortable with referring to God as being Father and King. The problem with this is that most of us live in societies where fatherhood and kingship are not admired or respected in the way they once were. The king seems to have little power compared to the government in the UK or the kings of the past, and fathers are often unknown or absent. So, relating to God from this lens can be detrimental, as God could be seen as removed from your circumstances and with little influence. This is not a fair or true reflection of the love, might and presence that God has. Therefore it is good that God has many titles. You can then relate specific aspects of those roles to highlight the different virutes of God's character, and so receive a fuller picture of who He is. This psalm focuses on one such title, Master, which is one that i have observed seems to be rather overlooked in our society.

Regarding God as Master can be hard for us to relate to in the West, as we no longer live in a society where servants and masters are commonplace. It seems old fashioned, removed and irrelevant when we live in a society where equality is strived for. Yet it is a powerful truth that God is Master, so you need to somehow be able to comprehend the virtues of this role, in order to gain a greater understanding of who God is. The writer of this psalm helps us by showing us the beautiful interaction between master/mistress and servant. The servants ‘look to the hand of their master’ and ‘lift up my eyes’ to them. This clearly demonstrates that the servants live in submission to, and under the authority of their master or mistress. The servant awaits direction, even just the movement of the hand (v2) to know what they should do. They closely watch the movements and anticipate the needs of their master as they know it will go well for them when they respond rightly, and who knows what punishment will befall them if they do not?

Relating to God as Master acknowledges that you are a servant. That's not something that most of us like to think ourselves as, yet you are under the authority of the perfect Master when you live in submission to God. He is the One you need to look up to, observe carefully, and await direction from. If you are a follower of God, then you have a duty to be obedient to Him and serve Him. Believing in and loving God carry responsibility. Is this how you see God, and yourself? 

God is not a terrifying or terrible master, but a merciful one (v3). He will take care of you and treat you well, for He is the perfect Master. Therefore He makes sure the needs of His servants are met, and provides them with a shelter and an occupation. He will not harm you, disrespect you, embarrass you, forget you or let you down. He is perfectly good and trustworthy, and He is in charge and He knows best. You can trust Him to lead you well. 

Do you accept God as your Master? And will you respond to Him as His willing, watchful and waiting servant?