We hope this week's devotional will encourage you in your spiritual walk.
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Psalm 126
A song of ascents.
1When the Lord restores Zion’s fortunes,
we should be like dreamers.
2Then will our mouth fill with laughter
and our tongue with glad song.
3Then will they say in the nations:
“Great things has the Lord done with these.”
We shall rejoice.
4Restore, O Lord, our fortunes
like freshets in the Negeb.
5They who sow in tears
in glad song will reap.
6He walks along and weeps,
the bearer of the seed-bag.
He will surely come in with glad song
bearing the sheaves.
(*Translation by Robert Alter, The Book of Psalms)
Devotional Thought:
Psalm 126 is part of a collection of fifteen Psalms (120-134) known as the “Songs of Ascent.” They may have been used by worshippers ascending to the temple in Jerusalem to attend the three annual pilgrim festivals. The tone and images offered in these psalms are those of struggling upward through difficult circumstances and toward God. Psalm 126 expresses the longing of a people for the goodness of God, which will be like a dream come true. The whole being of these people (from “head to toe” or—in Hebrew—"mouth to tongue”) will one day be filled with glad song.
The indistinctness of the historical context in these psalms allows us also to join with worshippers from the past. We join in the song from our own circumstances of weariness and upward struggle. We join those in the dry desert Negeb—whether literally or figuratively—who long for the rains that bring small rivulets of water. We join those who weep as they plant, longing for the harvest. In the present interim of time—between the walking along (v. 6a) and the arriving with glad song (v. 6b)—we climb in hope, with assurance and faith. The climb is a transformative place where our resilience grows, and God is found trustworthy.
*Note: the fluidity of verbs in biblical poetry make it difficult to determine if verbs are to be translated in the past or future tense. Alter translates verses 1-3 as looking to a future time just like verses 4-6.)
Prayer:
God, we are weary of Covid, of flooding, of international violence. Some days we struggle under personal and collective burdens as well. Yet we are confident of your presence and your trustworthiness on this journey. Give us strength and help us to encourage others who struggle on the way.
Rev Dr Linda Stargel
Academic Dean