Psalm 125 Prayer for God’s blessing upon His people
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
1 Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever.
2 Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever.
3 The wicked will not rule the land of the godly, for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong.
4 O Lord, do good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with you.
5 But banish those who turn to crooked ways, O Lord. Take them away with those who do evil. May Israel have peace!
“Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever.” Where can we find true security these days? People who have built lovely homes in wooded areas in the mountains of California or North Carolina have seen their treasured places of retreat destroyed by fires or hurricanes. Several years ago, Bernie Madoff caused retirement funds for millions of vulnerable elderly to evaporate when his Ponzi schemes fell apart. Estimates for the damages from Mr. Madoff’s machinations range from total losses of 17 billion to 64.8 billion. Sadly, many pension schemes of various kinds had invested with Mr. Madoff, assuming that their assets were safe and that the figures he furnished for the growth of their investments were accurate. When things fell apart due to market turn-downs, many retirees found themselves returning to the work force as fast-food workers simply to survive. The lesson from these events is clear: God is the only One in whom we can safely trust.
“2 Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever.” If you are a student of world events, you are likely reading this and questioning this statement. What about all those Israelis who were kidnapped, many of whom were killed? What about innocent Ukrainians dying from Russian attacks, when they wanted nothing more than to be allowed to live peaceably in their own country? What about Christians who are being slaughtered in Northern Nigeria or other places by Muslim extremists?
Jesus told his disciples, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So do not be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27) Later, that same night, Jesus assured his followers, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Even if we find ourselves under attack from Satan or those whom He is using as tools, we can rest assured that God has our backs spiritually. If we die as believers, we will live forever in heaven with God.
“3 The wicked will not rule the land of the godly, for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong.” Other versions read, “The scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.” Sadly, people take cues for their behavior from their leaders. Corruption in leadership leads to corruption throughout an organization or even a country.
But what if you find yourself suffering under a corrupt leader? This verse is for you, and you can pray it back to God, begging Him to remember this promise. This one verse can become a powerful prayer for removal of ungodly leaders. Many times, people feel that short powerful prayers aren’t sufficient and that they should go on and on when they pray. But Jesus warned his disciples not to do that, telling them, “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” (Matthew 6:7-8)
“4 O Lord, do good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with you. 5 But banish those who turn to crooked ways, O Lord. Take them away with those who do evil. May Israel have peace!” When our hearts are in tune with God, we open the way for Him to bless us. When we are in tune with God, we will worship Him, rejoicing in His Word. Worship doesn’t depend on how well you sing, for you can read Scripture as a form of worship. Worship is a matter of the heart; we worship when we acknowledge God as the Creator and Sustainer of all things and the only One who can give us salvation from our sins.
Sadly, those who turn to crooked ways banish themselves. The speed of darkness is the speed of light, for darkness and light cannot occupy the same space at the same time. We had a friend who began friendship with us by claiming to be a strong Christian, singing hymns under his breath, and attending church regularly. During that period, this man appeared to enjoy our company; however, gradually, he changed. As this man’s life deteriorated, he sought fellowship with those who would flatter him, rather than setting examples of righteousness. Our former friend stopped attending church and isolated himself from true believers. Other parts of our friend’s life also began falling apart. Now we can only pray for this man and his family, that he will repent before God removes him with other evil doers and that he and his family will truly know Jesus as Savior and Lord.
“May Israel have peace!” Psalm 122 adjures us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Indeed, we should pray for peace in Israel, because true peace in Israel will never come unless peace also comes to all the Middle East. Without peace in the Middle East, the rest of the world will also remain in turmoil, for three great religions are centered in the Middle East-Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Spiritual protection, spiritual security, and spiritual peace-God wants you to have all those things today. Why not memorize this very short psalm so you can repeat it to yourself as a source of comfort and a prayer? There is something wonderful about memorizing Scripture, for when you do so, the words you have memorized will come to you when you need them most.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. Help us to trust in You, knowing that You will protect and guide us. And do not allow the wicked to rule in our situations. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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