Journey
The Psalms of Ascent
“Bless Your Heart”
September 4, 2022 • Ben Potloff • Psalm 134
Psalm 134 | Ben Potloff | "Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord." Our summer in the psalms of Ascent comes to a close as the psalmist triumphantly points us to the worship of the Lord and closes with a statement of blessing from Zion. Here, we see that blessing comes from the Lord to those whose worship is aimed to the Lord.
Top To Bottom Unity
August 28, 2022 • Max Janusch • Psalm 133
Psalm 133 | Max Janusch | "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!" Unity, harmony, and community are all universally understood to be good things, but we often see our world marked more clearly by division, strife, and isolation. King David pens this psalm with the purpose of revealing God's will for life to be lived in brotherly unity. Here, we see that where the Lord rules, unity reigns.
It Is Finished
August 21, 2022 • Gavin Hesse • Psalm 132
Psalm 132 | Gavin Hesse | "For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place." Our zeal to obey and our desire to remember God’s covenant are low. We often only focus on the potential rewards–on ideas of “love”–and forget the part of that covenant that requires obedience. Here, we see that the promised King is found by those seeking him.
How's Your Posture?
August 14, 2022 • Ben Potloff • Psalm 131
Psalm 131 | Ben Potloff | "O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high." Humans are tempted to exalt ourselves and presume to know things, thinking in this we will find what our souls long for. But the opposite is true: humble yourself, admit your finitude, and find hope and rest. Here, in Psalm 131, we see that true rest and hope are found in realizing God is God, and we are not.
Affliction & Redemption
July 31, 2022 • Ben Potloff • Psalm 129
Psalm 129 | Ben Potloff | "Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth..." Scripture clearly teaches that there are two kinds of people: friends of God and enemies of God. Psalm 129 is the corporate song of a people familiar with affliction and more familiar with the character of the God who has promised to punish the wicked. Here, we see that to oppose God and his people is to be removed from the blessings offered by God.
A Blessed Life
July 24, 2022 • Noah Soistmann • Psalm 128
Psalm 128 | Noah Soistmann | "Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!" When our experiences often speak to the contrary, how do we understand a passage which promises such concrete blessings as Psalm 128? God certainly intends to bless those who would fear him and walk in his way, and this psalm points to the good news of how He fulfills that intention.
Rat Race
July 17, 2022 • Ben Potloff • Psalm 127
Psalm 127 | Ben Potloff | "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain." Even though this world is broken with sin, God is gracious to offer very real gifts to people. Tasks are accomplished. Things are built. Families are grown. The Lord is the source of good things, and he is to be glorified as the one who would bless people so undeserving of his goodness.
Timehop
July 10, 2022 • Ben Potloff • Psalm 126
Psalm 126 | Ben Potloff | "Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!" Our God restores, revives, and redeems. Throughout the Psalms of Ascent, we have been faced with the reality of our constant journeying through this life. But, in Psalm 126, we are reminded of our journey's ultimate destination. We have a home to look forward to.
You're Surrounded!
July 3, 2022 • Ben Potloff • Psalm 125
Psalm 125 | Ben Potloff | "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion..." Ultimately, there are two kinds of people: those who turn to the Lord for their salvation and those who turn away from him. Psalm 125 describes these two types of people and the Lord's plan for them according to his justice and mercy.
What If?
June 26, 2022 • Luke Hendrix • Psalm 124
Psalm 124 | Luke Hendrix | "Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth." God is actively working in and through his people, and this has been the case for all of human history. As he works, God has proven his faithfulness to ultimately deliver his people from evil. Our confidence can be firmly placed in the faithfulness of our God!
I’ve Had It Up To Here!
June 19, 2022 • Ben Potloff • Psalm 123
Psalm 123 | Ben Potloff | Christians, along with the psalmist, declare, "so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us." How long will the Lord wait to return and make right what we have broken? As God's people have always been foreigners in this world, God has also been faithful to deliver them. We set our gaze on the Lord as we wait for his mercy.
Glorious Gladness
June 12, 2022 • Max Janusch • Psalm 122
Psalm 122 | Max Janusch | For King David, there is joy and gladness when it comes to gathering with Israel to worship the Lord. Psalm 122 focuses on where this worship happens, namely, in Jerusalem. God's chosen city images his chosen people in its importance, purpose, and unity. Here, we see that Christians are called to seek the good of Christ's Church.
Help!
June 5, 2022 • Ben Potloff
Psalm 121 | Ben Potloff | "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord" (Psalm 121:1-2a). This psalm comes not in the form of a prayer but as a testimony and declaration of who God is and what he does. Be encouraged! The God who created the universe, who doesn't even need sleep, will keep you! Here, we see that...