This post is Day 29 in a series of studies about “Joy”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

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Joy – Day 29

Psalm 126 is a song of joy and celebration. It was often sung as pilgrims went up the hill to the Temple for special celebrations. They were celebrating their nearness to Jerusalem once more. As well as the freedom to go up to the temple after many years in captivity.

Psalm 126:5-6

Those who sow with tears will reap with joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.

The Thought

This short psalm is a song of joy and celebration, sung often as the pilgrims went up the hill to the Temple for special celebrations. They were celebrating their nearness to Jerusalem once more. As well as the freedom to go up to the temple after many years in captivity in Babylon, during which the special Jewish festivals were often a time of great sadness and regret as they could no longer go up to Zion.

This season of Christmas and New Year will be for many a time of joy as we see family and friends that we don’t often see. For others it will be a time of real sadness because this year has been different.

The last few years of covid have taken their toll on many families and across the world people are praying that that disease is completely finished. Even though the news media is warning of a new spread of something similar. Whatever we think of these things, we can and we must pray for the true church to rise up and for God’s reign to come on the earth. We can do that by our rejoicing.

Praise is a powerful weapon.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Action

Read Psalms 126 today. Rejoice as you imagine the Israelites freed from Babylon and able to worship where they want once more.

Ask yourself if you have the same joy when you go to worship services.

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