You Know How They Are

Saturday Psalm 4.5.25

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The Saturday devotion focuses on a part of a psalm – a verse, a phrase, even a single word. We pray that it is a blessing to you.

Psalm 126
v2b Then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”

They say you should always be skeptical of “they say” statements.

I’m willing to give the writer of Psalm 126 the benefit of the doubt for the vague “they said” in verse 2, though. The imprecision is the point, because “they” were foreign to the psalmist. “They” were foreign, period. “They” were “among the nations” observing, and then commenting on, “Zion,” the Israelites centered around Jerusalem.

And what did “they” say? “The Lord has done great things for them.”

One set of people – God’s people – had had their fortunes restored by the LORD (v1), and others recognized that because of the visible effect it had. For those who had been restored, “our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy.” (v2a)

That brings up an interesting point about our personal witness. Sometimes it’s not what we say, but how we look. When you are persecuted for your faith, are you glad, and show it, because you’re aware in such times of the great reward of heaven? Amid your daily trials do you evidence the peace that surpasses all understanding because you know the Lord is at hand?

I’m not asking anyone to fake happiness. I’m saying that Christians are blessed with the knowledge that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, and with that perspective, with our eyes fixed on heaven, what could separate us from joy?

I realize that this is an ironic point to stress during Lent, when we cosplay at being as lost and confused as Jesus’ disciples were as he endured torture and embraced a sacrificial death. At the same time, try as we might, we’re never going to feel the same suspense and fear that the Twelve and the Marys and the rest did. We know how the story ends. We have been restored!

Knowing that ties in to the saying that “you may be the only Bible someone reads.” That was definitely true when this psalm was written, when copies of Scripture were extremely rare. God’s love was visible then not through the Gospels, but through shouts of joy from the faithful.

Shouts of joy still work today. At any moment, we could dwell on the negatives of today, or accentuate the positives of eternal life, and the world needs to know the hope that we have. Soon enough, our period of mourning and deprivation will be gone, and no, I’m not talking about Lent now. “[He] shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” (v6)

So rejoice and be glad! They need to see it … whoever “they” are.

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