Psalm 126: The Joy Song

For Meditation

The pilgrim journey is hard. That much has been clear throughout our exploration of the Psalms of Ascent. Enemies, opposition, danger, struggle. We’ve seen week by week that the journey of the Christian pilgrim is not an easy road, but an upward call in Christ. And yet, Psalm 126 boldly asserts that one of the key marks of the pilgrim is joy. Even when the road is hard, there is joy on the journey.

What is joy? It is not a happy road, it is not freedom from difficulty, it is not absence of struggle. The context of this psalm is not bliss but danger. The psalmist is experiencing a profound hardship of some kind. And yet, in the midst of their trouble, there is joy. Joy is not happiness, but a deep steadiness of soul that remains firm amidst any circumstance.

Where does this joy come from? First, we see that the psalmist reflects back on what God has done in the past (v.1-3). We remember how good God has been to us in the past, and that we are a part of God’s great salvation story. Second, we then look to the future, and anticipate what God will do (v.4-6). Building on what God has done, we anticipate that once again God will restore everything that has been lost, and will bring us into the joyful harvest. Joy is rooted in memory and hope. Remembering what God has done, anticipating what God will do.

As you prepare to worship God with others this week, reflect on the measure of joy in your life right now. How joyful are you? if you are not experiencing joy, have you based your happiness on something other than Jesus, something that is easily taken away? What might that be? How could you find true joy in this season of hardship?

Psalm 126

(The Message)

1-3 It seemed like a dream, too good to be true,
when God returned Zion’s exiles.
We laughed, we sang,
we couldn’t believe our good fortune.
We were the talk of the nations—
“God was wonderful to them!”
God was wonderful to us;
we are one happy people.

4-6 And now, God, do it again—
bring rains to our drought-stricken lives
So those who planted their crops in despair
will shout hurrahs at the harvest,
So those who went off with heavy hearts
will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.

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