Great Plains Daily Devotional for 12/10/2018

Psalm 126 

A Song of Ascents.

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
    we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
    and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
    “The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us,
    and we rejoiced.

Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
    like the watercourses in the Negeb.
May those who sow in tears
    reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    carrying their sheaves.

Having the tendency to lean towards exegesis when reading or writing about scripture, I dug into The New Interpreter’s Commentary for some help on context for this Psalm. I found a beautiful explanation of the appropriateness of this passage for the advent season. Psalm 126 “communicates the reality that the people of God always live by both memory and hope.”

Memory and hope. I think this is a beautiful way to think about all Scripture. This song is expressing the need for God’s deliverance and restoration in a current situation, while remembering God’s faithfulness when He returned the exiles to Jerusalem. They have hope that He will be faithful again.

And, just like those who were once in exile, we have the hope that our Savior is faithful — His birth, life, death, and resurrection remind us that in all our circumstances we can expect Him. As we wait in expectation of the celebration of His birth, let us never forget the memory of all Christ has done for us.

In your own life journey, do you have memories of past faithfulness that gives hope for any current struggles or situations? I invite you during this season of expectation to root yourself in the memory of the redemptive power of God’s faithfulness. May the memory and hope bring you joy.

Prayer for Reflection

Malachi 3:1-4
Luke 1:68-79
Philippians 1:3-11
Luke 3:1-6