Psalm 118:25-29

Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD. The LORD is God, and He has made His light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar! You are my God, and I will give thanks to You; You are my God; I will extol You. Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!

Yes, You are good even when I don't recognize Your goodness. You are steadfast even when I don't see the steadfastness of Your love. You endure forever even when I don't understand "forever." I will give thanks and extol You in spite of my shortcomings and failings for You are my Lord and my Master. Amen.

Psalm 120:1-2

A Song of Ascents. In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. Deliver me, O LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.

O, Lord, the the most deceitful of tongues is the one that wags in my own mouth. It is the one that I am least prone to recognize, the one that I find most alluring and the most persuasive. Deliver me, Lord, give me the ears to hear Your Spirit and the willingness to obey.

Psalm 120:3-7

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!

Lord, sometimes the lying lips and deceitful tongues come disguised as loving and kind, solicitous of my wellbeing, but are intended to break my communion with You and divert me from a life of obedience to You. Give me the discernment to recognize those tongues, and the wisdom to turn them aside in a manner that brings glory and honor to Your name. Equip me as Your ambassador of Shalom.

Psalm 121:1-2

A Song of Ascents. 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.

Will I lift my eyes to the hills? Where is the source of strength and power, the source of peace and righteousness? Where is the Light of the World? Not in the powerful of this world, not in the wisdom of the Greeks nor the religiosity of the Jews? It is in You, the Crucified One, the power of God and the Wisdom of God. You are my Help, in You is life everlasting. Praise You, my Lord and my Master.

Psalm 121:3-8

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.

Lord, what a comprehensive promise! Always with me, never distracted, in all circumstances! And that promise to keep my goings and comings means that You have sent Your Holy Spirit to reside in me and lead me into all truth, teaching me to live in Your perfect freedom. Praise You, my Lord and my Master.

Psalm 119:161

Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of Your words.

Not princes of the realm but the princes of darkness persecute me and seek to divert me from the path of righteousness. But my shield and protection is Your Word. Fill my heart with awe and fear.

Psalm 122:1-4

A Song of Ascents. Of David. 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 for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.

There is a picture here, Lord, of Your people coming together in joy and with thanksgiving to offer praise to You. As You decreed for Israel, so You direct Your people today to assemble for no other reason but to give thanks to Your name.

Psalm 122:5-9

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.

It is as we assemble in Your presence, Lord, that we can pray for the peace and security of Your Body, where we can pray for revival and restoration and pray for the good of Your people. Lord, guide us whenever two or three or more come together in Your name.

Psalm 123:1-2

A Song of Ascents. To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us.

Lord, this Psalm brings to mind a picture of loving benevolence as I look to You as the source of all good, knowing that You do not withhold Your hand from Your children. That good, Lord, is not material wealth but spiritual health. Praise You, my Lord and my Master.

Psalm 123:3-4

Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt. Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud.

Help me, Lord, to shrug off the contempt of those who see reliance upon You as a sign of weakness; help me to learn as Paul to boast of my weaknesses for there You are glorified.

Psalm 124:1-5

A Song of Ascents. Of David. If it had not been the LORD who was on our side-- let Israel now say--if it had not been the LORD who was on our side when people rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; then over us would have gone the raging waters.

Oh, Lord, what a wonderful Psalm for me today as I fight against another person's anger rising against me. Help me, Lord, from being contaminated by their anger, from being swept into the maelstrom that is raging in their souls. Lord, free my mind from dwelling on this situation, keep me praising You and focused on Your protection.

Psalm 124:6-8

Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth! We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped! Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Lord, bring blessing and Your peace to them, restore our relationship, heal their anger, fill them with Your joy. There is a spirit there in my brother, whose name is anger, rejection, resentment, fear, and rebellion. Lord, replace that spirit with Your Spirit whose name is Peace, Acceptance, Love, Trust and Obedience.