Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.
New International Version (NIV)
What music do you listen to on Sunday mornings? My dad loves Blue Grass Gospel. Going back to my sophomore year in college, I remember listening to Christian music on my way to preach. Amy Grant and others sang about Jesus as I prepared to go and talk about Jesus.
In Psalms, the hymn book of the Old Testament, we find fifteen songs (Psalms 120-134) which the people sang as they marched upward to worship in Jerusalem. These “Songs of the Ascents” capture the faith of a people on pilgrimage. Jerusalem is a city built on hills surrounded by the hill country of Judea. Mount Zion came to symbolize the presence of God. You may remember singing, “We’re marching upward to Zion the beautiful city of God.”
The Psalmist makes a statement of faith: “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion.” As Mount Zion is unshakable and endures, so are those who trust in the Lord. In our throw-away, temporary world, God alone is eternal. Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so God surrounds his people now and forever. In other words, God has us surrounded. Like Elisha and his servant whose eyes were opened to see that they were surrounded and protected by the chariots of fire, so we are always surrounded by the protecting, powerful presence of God.
Think of everything else that surrounds you today. God is greater still. Doesn’t it make you want to sing?
Pray with me:
Father, open our eyes so that we may see you surround us to sustain us. Help us to move upward in our journey with you. Grant that we may claim new ground for your Kingdom in our lives and the lives of others we encounter. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
I want to invite you to join me in memorizing 52 passages this year from the 2017 set of Fighter Verses. You can find the Fighter Verses App at the App Store on your phones or via this link http://fighterverses.com/the-verses/fighter-verses/. As we study the Bible this year, let's look at each text and learn what it says about God.
Joyfully,
Duane
Copyright 2017. All Rights Reserved.
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