Read 2 Kings 23, Zephaniah 3, and Psalms 124-126.
This devotional is about Psalm 125.
Right now, in the days in which we live, there are vocal critics of Christian faith, or any religious faith of any kind. Those who hold to a secular, agnostic, or atheistic viewpoint sometimes say that we believers are weak, fearful, and–at times–stupid. The assumption of many with this outlook is that you and I can’t handle life on our own, so we believe in God to make us feel better enough to cope with the problems of life.
Psalm 125 makes the opposite claim. It says, “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.” The Psalm, then, compares faith in the God of the Bible to the city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built on a hill, so its foundation is solid and stable. Jerusalem is surrounded by hills, too, which forms a natural defense against surprise attacks. Verse 2 builds on this “surrounded by hills” image when it says, “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.” So, then, according to Psalm 125, if you believe in the God of Scripture, your life is built on a stable, eternally-enduring platform with God himself surrounding you for defense.
That sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Verse 3, though, begins with a minor concession. It says, “The scepter of the wicked will not remain….” A scepter is a king’s tool, a symbol of his power and authority. So, verse 3 is saying that wicked people may rule over us at times, but if our hope is in the Lord, the wicked will not rule over us forever.
Verses 4-5 call on God to reward those who are good and righteous (v. 4) and punish those who do evil (v. 5). The Psalm ends by saying, “Pease be on Israel.” When God is honored and exalted, when people trust in him, there will be peace.
Ultimately, the success of the righteous, the punishment of the wicked, and the peace of God’s people all await us in eternity. But, in the midst of uncertain times, your faith in God will stabilize and protect you in this life and into eternity.
The non-believer is the one who is weak, fearful, and foolish. The unbeliever may assume that things will never change, but he can’t count on that. The unbeliever may take pride in his abilities but his abilities may fail or be overwhelmed by someone with greater ability and evil intent. The unbeliever will die and, according to his own worldview, his life will end and not last forever. But he can’t know whether there is or isn’t an afterlife and, when he dies, he will meet a righteous God and answer for his life.
Far from being a refuge for the weak, faith in God is our stability, our strength, and our defense. If you are facing uncertain circumstances or even certain pain and suffering, let your faith in God strengthen you today. Trust in the Lord and be like Jerusalem–unshakable forever and surrounded by God’s defense.