Psalm 126 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 126 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.
Verse 2Then 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."
Verse 3The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
Verse 4Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb.
Verse 5May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
Verse 6Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
Devotion
Psalm 126 sings of hope based on faith. Hope springs from the trustfulness of one's faith. There is a childlike quality in which we know that hoped for happiness and blessing are ours in the Lord who restored Israel.
Children are capable of doing anything they want. They sing without worrying if they are on pitch. They draw pictures without fear that the outcome will be acceptable. They trust knowing that those who love them will always be there for them. They love without limits.
At what point do they lose that trust and freedom? There are many answers, but few are adequate. This Psalm speaks of a people who dream, who laugh, who rejoice and who will come home with shouts of joy. If that is not the Christian community, we have taken these gifts and squandered them.
Prayer
Lord, giver of trust and hope, ever remind us of the freedom that we have received in Christ, the freedom to risk, to reach out and to love without limits. Give us faith and hope, which sprjngs etemal. Amen.