HOLISTIC FLOURISHING
Opening Prayer
Father in Heaven, as I come to your Word now, fill me with your Spirit. Use what I read to help me live this day in ways that bring you glory, in ways that encourage others to see who you are and want the life only you can give.
Read PSALM 122
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
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.
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
‘You will keep in perfect peace [shalom—complete wholeness, fullness of flourishing] those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.’1
This is another ‘Song of Ascents’, part of a wider grouping of 15 other such Psalms (120–134). As with Psalm 121, this song evokes images of a pilgrim arriving in Jerusalem, probably for one of the three annual festivals.2 The psalmist rejoices over Jerusalem, acknowledges the significance of the temple as ‘the house of the Lord’ (v. 1), and prays for the peace of Jerusalem.
The dominant theme of the final four verses is a prayer for ‘peace’. This word is shalom, which means much more than the absence of conflict. Shalom is a rich concept, suggesting completeness, justice, health, well-being, and protection. The world cannot provide this kind of shalom—such deep wholeness can only come from God. ‘Holistic flourishing’ is a helpful summary, for it applies to every aspect of life, including our inner life and outward relationships, speaking of an integrated wholeness and fullness. This beautiful idea is emphasized repeatedly in verses 6 to 8. Verse 6 contains a stunning Hebrew wordplay of four straight words, all of which have the core shalu or shalom sound: ‘Pray for (shalu) the peace (shalom) of Jerusalem (yerushalam), may those who love you be secure (yishalu).’ These concepts, which include safety and prosperity, are tightly bound together in this poetic Hebrew wordplay.
Apply
To find peace of mind and peace with others, we must first find peace with, and in, God; then nothing will cause us to stumble.
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, in you is peace that passes all understanding. When I am struggling, feeling anxious and overwhelmed, remind me to come to you, thankful for the peace that only you can give.
1 Isa 26:3 2 Deut 16:16
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