Begin with two minutes of silence and stillness before God.

We continue our Road Trip Psalms playlist today with two more psalms. These psalms tend to fall into the genre of "simply trust." We see beautiful imagery and prayers of protection over the nation and people of Israel. 

When I was younger, in middle/high school, I was involved in the Boy Scouts (Yes, I am a card-carrying Eagle Scout), where we took many trips to camp in the woods. There is one trip I do remember that has still been one of my favorite trips I have ever taken. We went backpacking in the Rocky Mountains in New Mexico (Philmont for my fellow Scouts). We hiked around for 10 days, going up and down mountains, only carrying what we needed on our backs. But my favorite memory on the trip was hiking up this mountain that still had snow on it... in July... This mountain was called Mt. Phillips, standing 2 miles above sea level, and the view from on top of the mountain was not only beautiful but humbling as well. If you have been on top of a mountain, you know the feeling that I am talking about. Everywhere I looked for miles, I could see mountains sticking up out of the ground like the earth reaching for the heavens in praise. Truly beautiful.

I am giving you this visual because the city of Jerusalem sits on a mountain, surrounded by other mountains. Everywhere you look from the city, there are mountains surrounding it like a hedge of protection. Knights are always on guard, looking over the city. These mountains were symbols to the people in Jerusalem and reminders of God's protection over them. This psalm is a reminder to keep our trust in God. Like the mountains surrounding Jerusalem, God is the protector and does not move on His promises. As the psalm progresses, we see the reminder that it is not just about trusting in God but about trusting that He will uphold His covenant with them (even though we know they are not the best at upholding their end). 

It can be easy, as we go through life, to forget the promises of God, and often, too easily, our trust in God seems to fade. We will put our trust in ourselves, our jobs, schooling, family, friends, relationships, and so many more things that can become our focus. Life is hard, but it is not the end. One day we will pass away from this earth. If we believe that Christ died for our sins and have a relationship with Him one day, we will be with Him in eternity! That is such an amazing promise to remember. So, as life gets hard, remind yourself to Trust that God has a plan and that our trust needs to be in Him.

Psalm 126 even further reminds the Israelites that they will be restored and God will reign. This further reminds us that one day we, too, will be restored. We, too, one day after we pass from this life, will be restored, no longer in sin but fully sanctified in Christ on the New Heaven and New Earth. Life on this earth is hard and has so many challenges, but let this be a reminder of what is to come!

What are the ways in your life that you have seemed to put more trust in than God? 

How can you remind yourself to Trust in the Goodness of God today?

Challenge: Write out the things that you struggle trusting God in and bring them to Him in prayer and repentance.

Advanced Challenge: Find someone close to you and share these same things with them, and pray over each other to trust God in these areas.

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

Use the S.O.A.P. Method to study God's Word.

• SCRIPTURE: What stands out to you in today's passage?
• OBSERVATION: What is this text saying? What is the context? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? Are there any commands, instructions, or promises?
• APPLICATION: How can you apply this verse to your life? What does this mean today? What is God saying to you?
• PRAYER: Respond to the passage in prayer. Ask God to help you apply this truth to your life and spend some time listening to what He may be telling you.