Year 2, Day 271: Psalms 124-125

Psalm 124

Psalm 124 is an interesting psalm.  The point of the psalm is clear.  It is the Lord who causes us to escape the world.  It is the Lord to whom we owe all of our gratitude.

My mind runs in many directions as I read this psalm today.  First of all, how many of us think of life in terms of coincidence?  Or do we think of life in terms of near misses?  Perhaps we see things that should have gone far worse than they did and think about luck.  I wonder how often we give credit to chance, luck, or coincidence when we should really give credit to God?  I know I’m guilty of this.  Many things in my life should have gone far worse than they did.  Yet for how many of them have I given praise to God and confessed that it is God who prevented them from going horribly?

There is a deeper side to this psalm.  It really goes deep enough to argue the point that God is genuinely in control of every aspect of this world.  Mind you, just because God is in control doesn’t mean that God forces everything to happen.  But God is indeed in control.  Reading this psalm today caused me to ask whether or not I am genuinely aware of God’s control on a moment-to-moment basis.

That brings up the question of how much attention I give to God when He deserves it.  Do I think about God only when things go wrong?  Do I think about God just when I read His Word?  Do I think about God just in those “near-miss” moments of life?  Or am I genuinely pursuing God all day long?  Again, I don’t know about you but I know that I could stand to focus more on God and less on me.

Finally, I am left with a sense of gratitude.  This psalm is simply about being grateful to God.  Basically, this psalm says, “If it wasn’t for God, we wouldn’t be here.”  That’s a really humbling statement to make.  If it weren’t for God, the world would have squashed the Hebrew people from the face of the planet.  If it weren’t for God, there would be no Jesus.  If it weren’t for God, there would be no salvation, repentance, forgiveness, mercy, or grace.  I don’t know if I can say that I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for God; but I can certainly say with confidence that if it weren’t for God, I wouldn’t be following Him and where I am today!  Thanks be to God!

Psalm 125

Psalm 125 is a psalm with a very similar theme as Psalm 124.  God is the protector.  God is the bringer of righteousness.  God surrounds His people and protects them from the world.

But it isn’t quite the same.  The end of this psalm has a very unique focus.  There is a plea and a warning at the end of this psalm that we don’t find in the prior one.  While the prior psalm was to get us to focus on God, this psalm ultimately is to get us to focus on our response to God.

“Do good,” the psalmist says, “to those who are good and are upright in their hearts.”  The general plea is that the Lord would take notice of those who are trying to follow Him.  The psalmist wants us to realize that we are to do good and we are to be upright in our hearts.  The psalmist also wants us to realize that when we are good and upright, we can plead to God that He look upon us with favor.

But then we get to the last verse of this psalm.  It is a very unique and difficult verse.  Those who turn aside to their crooked ways are dealt with by God.  But look really closely.  It says that it is the Lord who leads away those who turn to their crooked ways.  A few Bible translations interpret the words “lead away” as “banish” instead.

This should cause us to pause.  Banishment is being sent out of the presence of someone.  Being led away conjures up images of some prison gang chained up and forced to go where they do not want to go.  When we turn to our wicked ways, the Lord will execute justice.  When we turn to our wicked ways, we deserve to be led away.  We deserve to be banished.  We deserve to be led out of the presence of God.

What a horrible fate.  I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone.  The consequences of sin are a broken relationship with God.  The consequences of sin are death and being led out of God’s presence into nothing.  Jesus often calls that place a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.

I am again reminded to be grateful.  I am grateful that Christ intercedes for us.  I know I do turn to my wicked ways from time to time.  I am grateful that I will not receive the fate that I deserve.  My actions dictate that I should be led out of God’s presence.  Yet because of His grace, love, and mercy there is forgiveness.  Because of His grace, love, and mercy I am called to continue to help with His plan.  Because of His grace, love, and mercy I am still a tool in His hand.

The same is true for you in Christ.  Go, be humble.  Go, be thankful.  Go, be with God.

<><