Surrounded

Psalm 125
1Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore.
3For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong.
4Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts!
5But those who turn aside to their crooked ways the Lord will lead away with evildoers! Peace be upon Israel!

If given total freedom to choose a vacation destination, I will always choose the mountains – every time. I first visited the mountains when I was in High School and fell in love with the grandeur and majesty they project. The air smells better, the colors are richer, and the peace they provide is unsurpassed.

As the Children of Israel recited this Psalm of Ascent on their way to Jerusalem, they would have had to walk through various terrains, including some rather arid desert like spaces, as well as “mountainous” regions. I place that in quotes because if you’ve been to the Rockies in the U.S. and Canada (or numerous other places on the planet), you would never consider the area around Jerusalem to be mountainous. Jerusalem sits at 2,450 ft. When you consider the Rockies, that’s just a bump. But, if you had to walk up from Jericho, which is 850 below sea level to Jerusalem, well, that’s a hike!

The Psalmist looks at the majesty of the mountains and feels secure as he compares that position similar to the one where he is held in the palm of God’s hand. Suddenly, the strength of those mountains is an apt description of the safety we feel in the presence of God. We are surrounded by Him. And as such, nothing else can harm us.

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