Psalm Chapter 120

Psalm 120:1 A Song of degrees. In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me.

I remember a preacher's wife once told me that she had never seen the Lord not answer a prayer of desperation. In our distress, He saves and cares as long as we have a right relationship with Him. If we don't have a right relationship we must repent of our sins and ask Jesus into our lives before asking God for help.

This is conversion. Sin separates us from God.

Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

This is why God sent His Son Jesus to become an offering for sin. When we exercise faith in Jesus by repenting of sin, that restores a right relationship with God. Then God will here our prayers.

John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

If we are walking in sin, we are not abiding in Christ. If we are not abiding in Christ, God will not answer our prayers unless it is a prayer of repentance. Repentance is not just apologizing for sin but being willing to turn from sin as well as be sorry for sin.

Psalm 120:2 Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.

Lying lips will tell us things contrary to the word of God. They will either add to the words or take from them. A lying spirit will tell us that we don't have to repent or change, just believe. A lying spirit will tell us that there is no God or that if there is, it doesn't matter how we live as long as we believe in Jesus.

Another lie is to do enough good works and we can make Heaven without faith in Jesus. All these are lies. The truth is that God commands all of us to repent and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ to be saved. Old things are then passed away and all things become new. Jesus is the only way to eternal life and salvation. He is the only one that can reconcile us back to God which sin once separated us from. Sin separates. Jesus removes sin and then we are back in God's fellowship.

Psalm 120:3 What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?

Lying tongues will suffer the judgment of God. We don't have to lie if we seek the Lord for truth and begin to walk in it. No one has to remain in sin, be deceived or walk in lies.

Psalm 120:4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
5 Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!
6 My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace.
7 I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.

The comfort of knowing Christ Jesus and receiving God's Holy Spirit is that even if there is war all around us, we can have peace in our souls. There is peace in the time of trouble, there is peace in the midst of a storm, there is peace though the world be raging. God is good, we do not have to dwell alone. -DC

Psalm 121

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