Psalm 124 (MSG)
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem
1-5 If God hadn’t been for us
—all together now, Israel, sing out!—
If God hadn’t been for us
when everyone went against us,
We would have been swallowed alive
by their violent anger,
Swept away by the flood of rage,
drowned in the torrent;
We would have lost our lives
in the wild, raging water.
6 Oh, blessed be God!
He didn’t go off and leave us.
He didn’t abandon us defenseless,
helpless as a rabbit in a pack of snarling dogs.
7 We’ve flown free from their fangs,
free of their traps, free as a bird.
Their grip is broken;
we’re free as a bird in flight.
8 God’s strong name is our help, the same God who made heaven and earth.
“For a journey without challenge, has no meaning; one without purpose, has no soul.”
― Phil Cousineau, The Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker’s Guide to Making Travel Sacred
We invite you to consider the journey. Perhaps it’s the entirety of your life, or a shorter path you are currently walking. Think about a difficulty or challenge you’ve had or are currently having in your journey.
How do you see God’s strong name as your help along the way? What have you learned going through the challenge along the way?
Whatever arises, give gratitude with God.