Psalm 120-121, Psalm 140, Psalm 143-144
Ryan: Psalm 144 ends with, “Blessed are the people of whom this is true; blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.” The Jews have a strong tradition in issuing blessings. In Fiddler on the Roof, when someone asks the rabbi if there is a blessing for a sewing machine, the rabbi replies, “There’s a blessing for everything!” According to Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus, the Jews developed the tradition in order to heed the words of Moses, “you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you” (Deut. 8:10 NASB). While Christians often ask for a blessing at a meal, Jews will issue a blessing, “Blessed is he who brings forth bread from the earth.” These little short prayers, if you will, are called berakhah, and faithful Jews will fill their day with them, from the moment they wake up to the moment they close their eyes to sleep, often issuing dozens if not hundreds of them each day. Ann Spangler writes, “When you start to make a habit of blessing God, you will discover that daily life can begin to feel like Christmas morning” (Sitting, p. 99).
Samantha: In our reading today we covered Psalm 120 and Psalm 121, both labeled as psalms of ascent. Two summers ago I had the privilege of studying all the psalms of ascent (Psalm 120-134) in the Beth Moore study, Stepping Up: A Journey Through the Psalms of Ascent. These psalms were pilgrim songs, sung by the Jews on their way to Jerusalem to celebrate the feasts. Many pilgrims traveled several days to get to Jerusalem, over rocky hills, and often at the mercy of bandits (think Good Samaritan). Psalm 121 would be very comforting to me along the journey, knowing that God will “not let your foot slip” or that “he who watches over you will not slumber” (Psalm 121:3). The journey is never easy, but God is there constantly to help you through it. When you falter, he is right there to steady you. When you sleep, he keeps watch. I will definitely sleep better tonight knowing that no matter what is out there, the God of the Universe is protecting me!
Tags: Discipleship, Faith
