Psalm 125 Devotional

Surrounded Like Jerusalem

“As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people, both now and forevermore.”Psalm 125:2 (BSB)

Mountains surround Jerusalem, and in the same way the LORD surrounds his people, now and forever (125:2). Those who trust him are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved (125:1). Their stability comes not from their own firmness but from what surrounds them.

Verse 3 adds a detail that is easy to miss. The rule of the wicked will not rest on the land given to the righteous, so that the righteous will not be pushed into doing wrong themselves. God limits evil's power partly to keep his people from being drawn into it. Paul makes a similar promise: God is faithful, keeps temptation within what believers can bear, and provides a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). The psalm ends by asking God to do good to the upright, warning those who turn to crooked ways, and praying peace on Israel (125:4-5). Whatever pressure surrounds you, the LORD surrounds you more closely, and he knows how much you can bear.

To think about: What pressure is pushing you toward a crooked path right now, and how does it help to know God has set limits on it?