Notes
Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever. Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever. The wicked will not rule the land of the godly, for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong. O Lord, do good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with you. But banish those who turn to crooked ways, O Lord. Take them away with those who do evil.
Psalm 125
For, “Who can know the Lord's thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:16
Psalm 125 is a song the Hebrew people sang together on their way to festivals like the Passover. When we secure ourselves in who God is and come together to worship Him, we'll learn to keep climbing the mountains of life. We become mature by having the mind of Christ, who helps us think differently:
1) No Weapon Formed Against Us Will Prosper
When we know God's love is greater than anything that comes against us, we can begin to hang on and keep going in difficult moments. Jesus had an intimate relationship with the father, and understood the love and power of God:
“He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. For he is sent by God. He speaks God's words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. And anyone who believes in God's Son has eternal life.”
John 3:31-36a
Jesus was God, but also human; He felt human feelings like us. But Jesus found security not in His feelings, but in His heavenly father. Let the security of God's love anchor your soul. His love is not based on who we are, what we have or haven't done, or how we perform. Without that understanding, we will be all over the place in our insecurity.
2) Temptation Is Temporary
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, 'People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”
Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, 'He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone.'”
Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, 'You must not test the Lord your God.'”
Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”
“Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, 'You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.'” Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.
Matthew 4:1-11
The enemy is crafty; he twists the Word of God and uses pieces of it to convince us of lies. But when we know the Word and know it in context, his tactics won't trip us up. We have to meditate on what the Word says in its context. Temptation is temporary; the Word of God is forever and everlasting.
3) The Joy Set Before Us Is Greater Than The Pain That Surrounds Us
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won't become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.
Hebrews 12:1-4
We are never promised a pain-free life. When sin entered the world, pain came with it. But we keep climbing by having our faith in Jesus who is the anchor of hope for our souls.
Group Questions
- Where do you find your security?
- How can we anchor ourselves in the security offered to us by Jesus?
- What do we learn from the way Jesus resisted temptation?
- How can we have joy even when we're in the midst of a difficult time?
Prayer
God, as we talk to you together, we pray for peace. We know that Christ is our anchor and that we can have peace because of who you are, despite whatever is going on around us. Thank you for never letting go of us.