Real Hope: The Israelites' PlaylistSample

The Solid Rock

READ PSALM 125

Those who wrote the psalms were realists, not romantic idealists. And so, the psalms contain much lament, praise, complaint, thanksgiving, uncertainty and confidence. As the pilgrims traveled to Jerusalem, they sang their traditional songs that reminded them of why they were going to worship God in that place. Life may at times be tough, but the circumstances of life were not the bottom line. Psalm 125 tells us that they saw their God like the solid rock that Jerusalem was built on and they reflected on the solid stability of God. A reminder to us that, while our faith may at times be shaky, God is solid rock. His faithfulness is the basic reality. My faith may be weak at times, but that doesn’t sap God of His strength. As the old saying goes, we don’t so much need great faith in God, but faith in a great God. The psalm uses the imagery of God surrounding His people. This conveys the idea of security. God is not above them or behind them or ahead of them. He is all around them. We need to realise this again and again as circumstances threaten to overwhelm us. Our God is greater than our circumstances. The psalmist reminds both himself and us that God will have the final word. Wickedness and evil may look to be triumphant, but it’s an illusion. God will sort things out in the end. Till then, we do face evil, and our fears. Final victory is assured but lies in the future. So, we continue on our various journeys, trusting in the solid rock of God.

Written by DAVID REAY

Want more? Check out the Real Hope Conversations Podcast and listen as we delve further into The Israelites' Playlist, a study of the Psalms of Ascent. Available wherever you listen to podcasts.