Daily Devotional Tuesday 30th January 2024

by William Moody

Psalms 120–122

Deliver Me, O Lord

A Song of Ascents.

120:1   In my distress I called to the LORD,
    and he answered me.
  Deliver me, O LORD,
    from lying lips,
    from a deceitful tongue.
  What shall be given to you,
    and what more shall be done to you,
    you deceitful tongue?
  A warrior’s sharp arrows,
    with glowing coals of the broom tree!
  Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech,
    that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
  Too long have I had my dwelling
    among those who hate peace.
  I am for peace,
    but when I speak, they are for war!

My Help Comes from the Lord

A Song of Ascents.

121:1   I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
  My help comes from the LORD,
    who made heaven and earth.
  He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.
  Behold, he who keeps Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.
  The LORD is your keeper;
    the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
  The sun shall not strike you by day,
    nor the moon by night.
  The LORD will keep you from all evil;
    he will keep your life.
  The LORD will keep
    your going out and your coming in
    from this time forth and forevermore.

Let Us Go to the House of the Lord

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

122:1   I was glad when they said to me,
    “Let us go to the house of the LORD!”
  Our feet have been standing
    within your gates, O Jerusalem!
  Jerusalem—built as a city
    that is bound firmly together,
  to which the tribes go up,
    the tribes of the LORD,
  as was decreed for1 Israel,
    to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
  There thrones for judgment were set,
    the thrones of the house of David.
  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
    “May they be secure who love you!
  Peace be within your walls
    and security within your towers!”
  For my brothers and companions’ sake
    I will say, “Peace be within you!”
  For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
    I will seek your good.

Footnotes

[1] 122:4 Or as a testimony for

(ESV)

As we look to the future Psalm 121 brings some wonderful hope and assurance. This is a Psalm of ascent which means it was sung as Pilgrim travelled to Jerusalem for one of the great festivals.

The hills around Jerusalem were dangerous (think of the story of the Good Samaritan), and these Pilgrims express their need for help as they approach these hills (v1).

Their hope comes as they take their eyes off their situation and unto the God they’re going to worship (v2). Focusing on the One who in His great power has made everything brings great confidence.

Here we have wonderful promises of God protecting (v3), of God always watching (v4), of God shielding day and night (v5-6), of God protecting from evil forces (v7) and of God sustaining His people always (v8).

It is by taking time to focus on God, on God’s promises and on God’s caring nature, that we can confidently face the future. God’s promises are not about not facing challenging days, but that on the journey to the New Jerusalem of Heaven, He will keep those who trust in Him.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®),
copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.