Look up: Psalm 120

Intro:
Ask any pilgrim and they will tell you the beginning of the journey can be very difficult. Christian in Pilgrim's Progress. Neo in the Matrix. Chicken Little in ... well, Chicken Little. All felt a calling to step out of the norm and walk forward. All felt the pain of misunderstanding.

If you want to live for something radically you will walk into trouble. People will not understand. Some will seek your undoing. Might be difficult. Might need a strategy.

We need to look up to God when starting on a journey of living radical for Jesus Christ.

Read:
Psalm 120

1 I call on the LORD in my distress,
and he answers me.

2 Save me, O LORD, from lying lips
and from deceitful tongues.

3 What will he do to you,
and what more besides, O deceitful tongue?

4 He will punish you with a warrior's sharp arrows,
with burning coals of the broom tree.

5 Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech,
that I live among the tents of Kedar!

6 Too long have I lived
among those who hate peace.

7 I am a man of peace;
but when I speak, they are for war.

Think:
Psalms 120-135 are "Psalms of Ascent" ... the songs of looking up! The people of Israel would travel to Jerusalem to worship the Lord singing as they went. Some are cries for help. Others are reminders to trust the Lord. Some are praise for God's good actions for the people.

These were traveling songs. Road trip rhymes. The fact they were in the town of Meshech (v.5) meant they were far from home. The longing for home was made worse by the lying and warful spirits of their neighbors that mocked them for following a God that called them to Jerusalem each year. "Stay here. Worship our gods. Don't waste your life by following old standards. Give it up."

You might find these Psalms a help for pilgrims trying to progress in a foreign land. These Psalms are good for those seeking to live outside the Matrix. These Psalms are good for the mocked Chickens that try to tell others the sky might be falling.

As these worshippers traveled to Jerusalem they called out to God for rescue. They did not try to take things in their own hands.

Do:
It is not easy to be a Christian in America today. If you take a stand for Christ in our culture you might find it a difficult journey. You might find lying tongues and warring hands waiting. Sometimes it is easier to go with the flow. Let's not do that!

Do you have any woe or concerns about standing up for Christ (v.5)?

We are encouraged to keep walking toward the Lord. We are encouraged to cry out to Him. He welcomes the cries of His kids. We are encouraged to ask for intervention. We are not walking alone.

Write a Psalm (song) to God sharing your concerns and express your trust in Him. He will strengthen you to stand. He will see you safely home.

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