Psalm 126 (ESV)
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion [also translated as, “or brought back those who returned to Zion”}, we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with shouts of joy.
Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.
Devotion
Psalm 126 is a community song of trust or confidence that proclaims God as the one who brings joy out of sorrow, laughter out of tears, and good out of evil. The exiles had dreamed of Jerusalem for fifty years. When Cyrus was elevated to the throne of Persia he allowed the exiles to return to Jerusalem. It seemed too good to be true. Were they dreaming?
The Hebrew word for nations (goyim) is used here to refer to the Gentile nations—i.e., heathen. The goyim noticed what was happening to the people of Zion. God was bringing them home to Jerusalem and giving them a sense of belonging that they had lost in exile. Their laughter and joy expressed their liberation, and couldn’t be missed. After 50 years away they were home to their land.
Our time of Lent is our time of liberation. It is our time to return to God, or possibly to come to God for the first time. Lent allows us to be free from our past with only our future to look forward to. It is our time to join our lives to our God. The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.
Prayer
The cross shouts to us
that You have not given up on us,
that You have forgiven us,
that You have died for us.
In this season,
may the message of the cross infiltrate our minds,
may the power of the cross change us into new creatures,
may the glory of the cross capture our complete attention,
may the meaning of the cross challenge us to new commitment and fill our mouths with laughter and shouts of joy.
Then Lord, the cross will be more than just a symbol. It will be a life-changing force for every day.
The Lord has done great things for us and we are glad. Amen.
Rick Neldon