Psalm 125 (NRSV)

​¹Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
²As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds his people,
from this time on and forevermore.
³For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
on the land allotted to the righteous,
so that the righteous might not stretch out
their hands to do wrong.
⁴Do good, O LORD, to those who are good,
and to those who are upright in their hearts.
⁵But those who turn aside to their own crooked ways
the LORD will lead away with evildoers.
Peace be upon Israel!

Observation: What I hear in this text is something we desperately need: stability. Comfort. Protection. Love. God protects God's people just like the mountains that surround Jerusalem. (They're not big snow-caps like the one in the photo, but they are majestic nonetheless!) Any earthly form of security can be shaken, but God will not.

Application: In a time of so much turmoil, God is our foundation. A theology professor in seminary used to correct us when we talked about God as a "being" or an "entity". He said, "It's not just that: God is the ground for ALL being!" If the whole universe is a mountainside, God isn't just one boulder among many, or the most majestic peak. God is the bedrock holding up the whole mountain! God is so much bigger, more ancient and more unshakable than any of our fears. There's no comparison! That doesn't mean the problems of our lives, or of our world today, aren't important and worth our attention. But at the end of the day, the mountain remains. And that mountain is love.

Prayer: God you are our rock, our foundation, our mountain range, even amid the storms of our lives. Protect us, Lord, in mind, body and spirit, that we may continue to walk your way and share your love. In Jesus' name, Amen.