Hello friends.
This is Mark Gladman,
Also known as Brother Frederick James,
Your friendly neighbourhood monk in docks.
Welcome back as we continue to walk through the Psalms of Ascent.
Today,
As always,
As we begin,
Just allow yourself to settle into a time of stillness.
Just feel the quiet rhythm of your breathing.
Notice the air as it enters.
And the release of each breath.
For these next few moments,
Just allow yourself to become present to the one who's already present to you.
And as you rest here remember that this pilgrimage is about awakening.
To the God who's already been journeying with you,
Even before you knew.
The ancient pilgrims knew that every step towards Jerusalem was also a step into deeper trust.
And some days that trust can come easily.
But other days it has to be chosen.
And today's psalm invites us into that choice.
And of course,
This is not a confidence in ourselves or that life's always going to unfold as we hope.
But a confidence in the steadfast presence of God.
So as we begin and read this psalm together for the first time,
Just allow the words to rest within you.
And notice what captures.
Your attention.
Psalm 125.
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
Which cannot be moved.
But abides forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem.
So the Lord surrounds his people from this time on and forevermore.
For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous.
So that the righteous might not stretch out their hands to do wrong.
Do good,
O Lord,
To those who are good.
And to those who are upright in their hearts.
But those who turn aside to their crooked ways,
The Lord will lead away with evildoers.
Peace be upon Israel.
So I wonder what?
Caught your attention as you listened then.
Maybe it was the image of the mountain or the promise that God surrounds his people.
Maybe it was the bit about the Lord leading away those who turn aside,
Or.
.
.
Maybe that little blessing at the end.
Peace be upon Israel.
Whatever it happens to be,
Just let it sit with you.
As we reflect today.
Now at this point the pilgrim has travelled far enough to begin seeing the hills surrounding Jerusalem and those who made this journey For those people,
The mountains were more than just scenery,
They were a sign.
Strong,
Steady,
Enduring,
Generation after generation,
Those hills remained.
Kings came and went,
Empires rose and fell.
Storms swept across them,
But the mountains endured.
And the psalmist looks at those ancient hills and says,
This is what trust can become.
Deeply rooted,
The kind of trust.
That remains even when circumstances change.
And notice also the beautiful image that comes after it,
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the Lord surrounds his people.
So gods.
.
.
Not only ahead of the pilgrims.
But God is all around them,
Behind them,
Before them.
Beside them,
Even above and beneath them,
Holding them within a love.
That's even larger than they can see.
And maybe there's an invitation here to discover that we live at the very centre of God's care,
Day after day after day.
Let's listen to the psalm again,
And this time,
As you listen,
Just consider What is it?
That gives you stability.
Psalm 125.
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
Which cannot be moved.
But abides forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem.
So the Lord surrounds his people from this time on and forevermore.
For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous.
So that the righteous might not stretch out their hands to do wrong.
Do good,
O Lord.
To those who are good.
And to those who are upright in their hearts.
But those who turn aside to their crooked ways,
The Lord will lead away with evildoers.
Peace be upon Israel.
So when life becomes uncertain,
Where do you instinctively look?
To find your security and stability.
Quite often the modern world builds lives on things that can't bear the weight that we place upon them.
Success,
Approval,
Control,
Certainty,
Even our own strength.
I guess none of these are technically wrong in and of themselves,
But none of them are mountains.
All these things I just mentioned,
They shift,
They change,
They pass away.
The psalm though invites us to build our lives on something deeper.
There's no certainty here that nothing difficult is going to happen.
But there is a confidence that nothing can separate us from the faithful love of God.
This trust grows slowly,
Like a tree putting down roots,
Like a pilgrim taking one faithful step after another,
Day by day,
Prayer by prayer,
Choice by choice,
Until almost without noticing it,
Our lives begin to rest more deeply in God.
Than our fears do.
Let's listen one more time and this time Allow yourself to hear this beautiful blessing as though it's spoken over your own life today.
Psalm 125.
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
Which cannot be moved.
But abides forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem.
So the Lord surrounds his people from this time on and forevermore.
For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous.
So that the righteous might not stretch out their hands to do wrong.
Do good,
O Lord,
To those who are good.
And to those who are upright in their hearts.
But those who turn aside to their crooked ways,
The Lord will lead away with evildoers.
Peace be upon Israel.
At Sprite.
Steadfast God,
Thank you for being the ground beneath our feet.
When life feels uncertain,
Be our stability.
When fear shakes our confidence,
Root us more deeply in your love.
Surround us as the mountains surround Jerusalem.
Help us to remember that we're never beyond your care,
Never outside your compassion and never alone.
On the road.
Grow within us a trust that's quiet,
Humble,
Enduring.
As we continue this pilgrimage,
May every step draw us more deeply into your peace.
May your peace,
Which has sustained your people through every generation,
Rest upon all who seek you today.
And along with grace and love,
Be with us every single step of the journey,
Today and always.
Amen.
Thanks so much for continuing the pilgrimage with me.
I look forward to.
Continuing the journey with you tomorrow.
Until then,
Take care.
Peace be with you.
