WE’RE GOING UP! (Psalm 120)

Within the complete book of Psalms, there will occasionally be a series of psalms that frequently go together. We are coming to one of those sections now.

It has 15 in all, beginning with Psalm 120. They are known as “songs of degrees.” Each one is identified as such just above the first verse.

In this case, “degrees” is a geographical term used to denote progress. It is believed that these particular songs were sung by the people of God as they went up to the temple to worship. They have been referred to as the “ascending psalms.” They were going up. Imagine the people going into the presence of the Lord while singing these songs.

Psalm 120 was the first of these. As you read its seven verses, you might think, “How depressing.”

Verses 1-7: “In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me. Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue. What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue? Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper. Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar! My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace. I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.”

That doesn’t sound like an encouraging psalm at all. But it is a psalm of truth.

Keep in mind that every psalm has a story behind it, whether it be the author or the people living it. Obviously, whoever was being used to pen these words was someone engaged in a real spiritual battle. That tells me that if you are going to enter into God’s presence and worship Him, the enemy will fight it. Also, when you are at your lowest, you absolutely need the presence of God.

The Psalmist wasted no time describing his situation by referring to “my distress.” Are you distressed today? Are you concerned about what is going on around you or what someone else is saying or doing?

If so, you are not alone. According to I Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful …” The writer of Psalm 120 understood that.

In verses 2-4, he wrote about what people say. Sometimes, that is one of the most difficult things to deal with. The reference to “lying lips” and “a deceitful tongue” with the comparison to “sharp arrows” emphasizes that good things were not being said.

You may be facing such things, and even if they are not from people you see, the “accuser of our brethren” (Revelation 12:10) is likely hurling them your way. It is so hurtful.

In verse 5, the psalmist shifts his attention from what they say to what they do. There is a mention of people who lived in Mesech and Kedar. A closer study reveals that these were desert people or wanderers. This was a rough crowd, known for being fierce and, at times, violent.

Then, the focus became what they wanted. Verses 6-7 point out that they did not want peace; they wanted war.

Perhaps you feel today like you are surrounded by this kind of behavior, and your song is actually a distress call. If that is true, just know that the Lord is going to be enough.

Go back to how the psalm began. “In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me.” We are apt to skip that last phrase as we go to the rest of the psalm. Through all of the noise, God heard him.

It is no different for us. Through all that the enemy says and does, God hears you. It may seem as though no one hears you today, but I can say on the authority of His Word that He does. That means you can move from wherever you are and go up into His presence.

We are going up

I am glad to report that some day soon a trumpet will sound and we will be going up. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, ascended to Heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father. As sure as He ascended, so will we at some point.

But it is not just true for the future. Right now, spiritually, we are going up. The Christian life was designed to be an ever-ascending life. We already “sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” according to Ephesians 2:6. We are told to set our affections in that direction.

Are you living the ascending life today? Don’t let your life spiral down. That is not what God intended. You are to be going up, and you do that by entering into God’s presence.

It is not the absence of the enemy; it is the presence of Christ. It is not about getting rid of the wicked men described in Psalm 120 but recognizing that you have a God who hears you no matter where you are.

We are to go up with a song

It is interesting that as low as the psalmist was feeling, God inspired him to put it into the words of a song. God’s people should always have a song. The Bible says in Psalm 40:3, “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.”

Whatever you are going through today, you should certainly pray your way through it. But let me encourage you also to sing your way through it. Take a great hymn or chorus about the Lord Jesus Christ. Take one of these psalms and set it to music. Make up your own tune if you like. We don’t know the tunes for these psalms, but we know the tone. It is hopeful because the Lord is enough.

There is a new song for every step of the journey

You may be on the first degree or the first step. Your circumstances might have you on a mountaintop or in a valley. For every one of these steps, God has a new song for you to sing.

The Lord has more He wants us to learn, prayers of ours He wants to answer, and victories He wants to win. He is at work in your life today.

Let this be your testimony. Cry out to the Lord so you can say with the psalmist, “and he heard me.”

I believe that as we begin these psalms of ascent, God will bring us higher and closer to His own heart. Ask Him today to do that for you. No matter what is going on around you or inside you, you can enter into the presence of God.