PUSHED TOO FAR?
Opening Prayer
Advent God, be with me in Your fullness as I journey to the stable and beyond.
Read Psalm 125
A song of ascents.
1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people
both now and forevermore.
3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain
over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
their hands to do evil.
4 Lord, do good to those who are good,
to those who are upright in heart.
5 But those who turn to crooked ways
the Lord will banish with the evildoers.
Peace be on Israel.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Reflect on God’s steadfast love in your own life and the times it’s been more difficult to believe in this truth.The first two verses of today’s psalm give the impression that the psalmist was writing from a trouble-free place. He describes those who trust in God as being safe and secure as Jerusalem, high on a hill surrounded by other hills. However, verse 3 reveals that He is making these declarations of faith amid trouble. He writes of ‘the scepter of the wicked’ over his land, suggesting pagan powers were oppressing his people.
The psalmist was encouraging himself that God can be trusted, even when things seem to be going wrong. In times of difficulty, it is tempting to worry that our problems will never end, and that our faith will not be strong enough to survive. Verse 3 shows how the psalmist dealt with such thoughts. He declared that God will not let our suffering continue for too long because He knows our weaknesses and that people are tempted to ‘use their hands to do evil’ when they become discouraged. Paul similarly encourages us that God ‘will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear’ (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Take heart then, for God knows your limitations. You can trust Him.
Apply
Spend time being honest about any struggles you are having trusting God. Is He giving you truths by which to live? Is He providing a way out? Pray for strength to walk in His ways today.
Closing prayer
Gracious Father, You do not change and You are my dwelling place. I praise You that I am able to stand firm in You.
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