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 invites us to praise God for helping us in the past while simultaneously asking God to restore us again in the present. Praise and petition coexist in a dynamic, life-giving relationship with God. As seen in yesterday’s Isaiah 43 text, God’s merciful salvation is not confined to a glorious past, but continues to meet us in our present needs.
Today, we know that God’s greatest act of salvation has already occurred through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Praise God for having delivered us from sin and death! At the same time, Lent encourages us to acknowledge our ongoing need for God’s salvation amidst all that seeks to rob us, our neighbors, and the creation of the fullness of life secured by Christ. Petitions motivated even by pain and disillusionment are signs of trust in the God who continues to save and restore.
Prayer
Gracious God, turn our tears into shouts of joy. Refresh our hurting world with your rivers of love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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