“A SONG OF ASCENTS. OF SOLOMON.
Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.”
Have you ever felt particularly Psalmy? Things like this happen to me all the time. For instance, a couple months ago, I got Genesis 22’ed. I felt like every prayer I prayed, every devotion I led, and every sermon I preached, led us up the mount, watching Abraham go in faith to sacrifice his son. But God provided. I got stuck in the best of ways—constantly thinking about, praying to, and praising the God who provides!
By God’s grace and mercy, this type of thing happens naturally in a believer’s life. Have you every thought about where God has “stuck” you in Scripture? I can think of several places in my own life as a Christian: Ezekiel 2 & 3, Romans 8, Colossians 3, John 16, 2 Peter 1, and Luke 22 are a few. Now it’s the Psalter at large!
This last Sunday we sang Psalm 127. It speaks of the need for God to work, of the folly of thinking we can do it on our own, and of the blessing of children. More than that, this is a Song of Ascents, which means this Psalm was originally meant to be sung walking up the mountain to Jerusalem to worship and praise God. The reality is that God is working, replacing our anxious toil with rest and sleep. We see this in a beautiful way with children, which is why Solomon would connect God’s work and our children in this Psalm.
You heard it here first, Centennial Family, I’m Psalmy this week. What are you? Has God “stuck” you somewhere in the Bible? Let me know! I’d love to hear what God is doing for you! Midweek blessings from your Psalmy pastor,
Jeremiah Thomas