Songs of the Soul: A Lent DevotionalSample

Growing up in the UK as a first-generation immigrant, the consistent soundtrack of my childhood and youth was the importance of learning as the path to achievement. The message was that my contribution to my family and society was measured by how well I studied and what I went on to achieve armed with good grades.

I love how this psalm turns the received wisdom of the world on its head. Scripture teaches that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). Psalm 128 continues this theme with a clear command to fear God in the sense of holding God in the highest possible regard, coming before Him with a sense of reverential awe. At the most fundamental level, it means recognizing that God is Holy and Sovereign, and we are not.

In this Lent season of reflection, Psalm 128 makes it clear that the pathway to blessing is to put God first and foremost in our lives, our priorities, and our decision-making. If we obey Jesus’s Royal Law of putting God in first place in our life and affections, we are promised “it shall be well” with us.

This is not a prosperity gospel of transcending poverty or illness through devotion and confession. The Promise is that Joy, Blessedness, and Supernatural Peace, regardless of our circumstances, are the by-products of a life lived inside of God’s Will. In the end, there are only two paths to choose and where we spend Eternity is determined by whose path we choose to follow, His or ours.

Psalm 128 gives me the assurance that as I align my life with God’s Will He will guide, provide, and bless me in ways that are ultimately for my good. Meditating on this psalm brings the realization that God is much more concerned about how I live my life than what I achieve. While the “Good Works” God has called me to are important, the primary goal is to fix my eyes on and draw nearer to, Jesus.

Cuong To
Elder

Prayer:
Lord, help me to seek my happiness and soul contentment in the right place. Thank You that Your Word makes it clear that the key to a fulfilled life is to be in a right relationship with You, to put my trust in You, and walk in daily obedience to Your Word. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.