“Those who trust in the Lord”
[Psalms 125]
One day, I meditated on who are the happiest people in the world, centering on Romans 4:1-8. The Bible says that a sinner who has done nothing good and has no merit and who believes in Jesus Christ, is justified by God through God's complete grace is the happiest person in the world. What is our happiness to be regarded as righteous by God without any merit? Look at Romans 4:7-8: “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” In a word, our happiness is that all our sins are forgiven. What sins have we been forgiven in Jesus Christ? All rebellious sins openly committed [“transgressions” (v. 7)], all sins committed by weakness, which don’t conform to God's will [“sins” (v. 7)], and all ethical sins that don’t follow the degree of life [“sin” (v. 8)] (Park) are all forgiven in Jesus Christ. All our sins have been put away [“forgiven” (v. 7) and “are covered” (v. 7)], and our sins have been blotted out, not even God regarded them as sins (v. 8)]. All of our sins have been put away by the precious blood Jesus shed on the cross. All our sins have been covered up. God has blotted out all our sins. Therefore, the Bible tells us that those who believe in Jesus Christ with God's complete grace and have forgiven all their sins with the precious blood He shed on the cross are the happiest people in the world.
Are you happy? One of the characteristics of a happy person is the one who trust in God even when he or she goes through hard times as the years pass by. Usually, as children grow up, they try to do everything themselves independently of their parents. But the more we who believe in Jesus grow up in faith, more and more we trust in God instead of more we become independent from Him. Especially happy people rely more on God in realizing how weak and small their faith is when they face with difficult things. Therefore, those who are happy ask God for help in the darkness and in danger of life. Are you more and more happy to trust in God as the years go by?
When we look at Psalms 125:1, this is what the psalmist said: “Those who trust in the LORD Are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever.” That is, those who trust in God will not be shaken like Mount Zion and will be forever. Here, ‘mountain’ is a symbol of immortality and rest (Park). Those who trust in God will stand firmly and unshakable despite any troubles and adversities like a mountain, and will enjoy the peace and rest that God gives forever. How is this possible? How can we enjoy peace and rest without being shaken in this sinful world of sorrow, hardship and death like the mountain? It is because God protects those who trust in Him. Look at verse 2: “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people From this time forth and forever.” It is said that Jerusalem is geographically surrounded by many mountains (Park). As so many mountains surround Jerusalem, God surrounds those who trust in Him. Just as the mountains in their immovable posture surround Jerusalem from a distance, God is firmly protecting and keeping those who trust in Him. Therefore, those who trust in God are forever before Him and are protected by God forever.
But there is one thing we need to keep in mind. That is, because they trust in God, there may be troubles even for those who live in God's protection. Look at Psalms 125:3 – “For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest upon the land of the righteous, So that the righteous will not put forth their hands to do wrong.” God sometimes gives power to the wicked to afflict the righteous (saints) in order to awaken them (Park). In other words, even in the lives of those who trust in God, there may be distressing things caused by the wicked. I wonder why God will allow these things into our lives of trusting God. The reason is to awaken us. Also, some might say that God allows such sufferings to train us. I think that the reason is to make us to trust in God more and more which is His good, pleasing, and perfect will. In other words, when we live by trusting in God, we are more dependent on God because of our suffering and difficulties due to evil people. Therefore, the harder and more difficult we are, the more we cry out to God.
So, what is the prayer topic of those who trust in God? The psalmist speaks two prayer topics in Psalms 125:4-5.
The first prayer topic is written in Psalm 125:4 – “Do good, O LORD, to those who are good And to those who are upright in their hearts.”
Here, the words “those who are good” or “upright in their hearts” refer to a person who doesn’t lie but trusts in God sincerely, and strives for righteousness, that is, saints (Park). In other words, it is the word that teaches us that we must sincerely trust God and strive for righteousness as believers. If we are true believers, we will live by trusting in God. And if we are living with true trust in God and we will not be false, but we will be striving for righteousness by trusting in God truthfully. How can God turn away the prayers that we offered to God in our life of manifesting His goodness? What we need to realize here is that the prayer content is important, but the prayer person is more important. If we don't live the life of a prayer who is worthy in God's sight while praying to God because we trust in Him, we have to ask ourselves how God can listen to our prayer. Those who trust in God and pray to Him to do good are upright in their hearts. They are truthful. And they are those who know God's good will and strive to fulfill it. When those upright people with such upright heart pray to God, “Do good to us,” they steadfastly believe in Romans 8:28 and pray to God, “Do good to us”: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
The second prayer topic is written in Psalms 125:5 – “But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways, The LORD will lead them away with the doers of iniquity Peace be upon Israel.”
Here, “those who turn aside to their crooked ways” refers to the apostate who departs from the truth of God (Park). God is saying that these apostates will be treated like unrepentant unbelievers (“the doers of iniquity”) to the end. That is destruction. The psalmist prayed to God to do good to the upright people with their upright hearts in their petition. And he prayed to God that apostates from God's truth would go along with those doers of iniquity who were unrepentant of their sins. In the midst of that, he asked God for peace to be upon Israel.
We must trust in God more and more especially these days of difficulties due to the recent economic recession. If we have violated the word of Jesus that we cannot serve God and wealth together (Mt. 6:24) and have lived with more effort in serving wealth than God, we must confess our sins to God and repent. And we must trust in God more and more, and not in wealth. We must be upright in heart and be truthful. And we must discern the good will of God and strive to fulfill His will. In the midst of that, we must ask God to 'do us good’. In doing so, we can stand firmly without shaking. God will protect and preserve those who trust in Him.
He who has no choice but to trust in God more and more as time passes,
James Kim
(As I taste God’s goodness)