Surrounded and Surrendered

“They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.  As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about His people from henceforth even for ever.”  Psalm 125:1-2

When discussing favorite places to visit on vacation, some folks like the seashore while others prefer the mountains.  Both have their attraction.  At the seashore, one can stand on the beach and watch the waves as they roll in and out, the perpetual pattern that has gone on for thousands of years.  One can walk along the shore barefooted with the saltwater waves lapping over his or her feet, the sand squishing up between the toes, giving a feeling of peace and harmony that all is right with the world, at least for a few moments.  On the other hand, the mountains have lots to offer in the way of serenity, beauty, particularly in the fall, and perhaps a nearness to God more so than the seashore because a mountain reaches toward heaven, God’s home and the final destination of the one who has placed his or her faith in Jesus Christ.

Psalm 125, whose writer is unknown, compares those who trust in the Lord with Mount Zion.  We know that Zion refers to Jerusalem, and that it is built on a hillside.  This Psalm is one of the Psalms that is known as a “song of degrees”.  There are several ideas about the meaning of “degrees”, but the most likely meaning is that the Psalms 120 to 134 were pilgrim songs sung by the people as they went up to Jerusalem (Unger’s Bible Dictionary) indicative of the successive uphill steps that were made to reach the city and, most particularly, the temple.  Many Jews made long journeys to reach Jerusalem at the time of the annual feasts and celebrations, and these journeys were made mostly on foot.  Fast forward to today:  folks won’t even get in their nice automobiles and drive a couple of miles to worship the Lord.  How far have we fallen?

To trust in the Lord is to be as firm and unmovable as a mountain.  The Lord surrounds His people like the mountains surround Jerusalem.  When a sinner repents of sin and receives Christ as Lord and Savior, his or her salvation is as unmovable as a mountain.  He or she has surrendered to the only One who can give peace, joy, and hope in this world of turmoil and sin.  The wicked will not rule over the godly nor will the godly suffer punishment unless the godly join in with the wicked.  Why would anyone in their right mind, after receiving Christ as Lord and Savior and enjoying all the peace, contentment, and the freedom from the guilt of sin that salvation brings ever even have the slightest notion to turn back and become as those who do not know Jesus?  “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him” (Psalm 34:8).

The Psalmist then requests of the Lord to do good to those who are good and upright in their hearts which is a request that all believers should make of the Lord on behalf of other fellow believers.  As far as the wicked go, God will handle them in the way that He sees fit.  We fret and bemoan the state of our world because of all the ungodly things that are going on, many actions even promoted by those elected to lead the nations and wonder when there will be a reckoning for the blatant sin that is being committed.  Sometimes I feel like the prophet Habakkuk when he asked God how much longer the wicked would rule over the righteous, but God told him that He had it all under control and that He would do a work that would be unbelievable.  I may not be around to see that day, but it is going to be like nothing that has ever happened before!   The Psalmist then calls for peace upon Israel, and we pray for peace upon all of God’s people.

I like that Christian song that I have been hearing on the radio by the group Cain, “I’m So Blessed” which focuses on the blessings of God regardless of one’s circumstances.  “On my best day, I’m a child of God; on my worst day, I’m a child of God”.  Because believers are surrounded by the love of God and surrendered to His purposes, what else could we desire?  We have the best of both worlds, now and to come.