RISE

 

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1 (A Song of degrees) Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

3 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

4 Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.

Psalm 123 

The title of some of the Psalms, "Song of Ascents", is known to reflect the tradition of singing them when the Israelites made their pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Literally translated from Hebrew, it means "to ascend to Jerusalem", and it is also said "to ascend in Israel". Why? Because it is an ascent to a higher level not only geographically but also spiritually - representing the Holy City and the Holy Land. When travelling on Israel's Route 1 (Tel Aviv - Jerusalem), it truly feels like climbing into the mountains, as well as a unique sense of spiritual elevation. Anyone who is not a native of Israel but has repatriated there will never forget their first ascent to Jerusalem in their life. This is roughly what should be discussed. We believe in God and keep His commandments, and we always do what He tells us to do, as written in the Bible. He is our Lord, and we are His servants, and we are happy with this.

But there are many people who disagree with this. They say : "Why do we need God? Why should we listen to Him and follow His commandments? We want to do what we please and live by our own rules!" At first glance, the idea seems attractive and interesting. But is it right and is it sensible? Almost everyone wants to be independent, even as children. This idea looks like a sweet : "my laws, my plans, and even if there is a God, it’s me". But it is not for nothing that it is written that this is madness! There are many people who want to think that "God does not exist". They have invented so-called "science", which teaches it as such, and there are so-called "scientists" who move from one country to another, and people come to listen to them, especially young people, and are even willing to pay money for these meetings. For what? To prove to themselves that it is so, and if it is so, then there is no Lord, no laws and no responsibility.

Why is this wrong and why is it madness? The universe is not the result of the "Big Bang" or "evolution". It is the result of the Mind that created it. We know that God exists and that the Bible is true, that prophecies come true and that His laws and His mercy bring happiness and salvation. Many of those who say "God does not exist" think "if He exists, He is evil", and therefore have decided to believe that 'He does not exist'. We know that this is the lie of Satan - the deceiver and murderer, who blames God for his own crimes. Another major theme in this psalm is pride. People do not want to believe because they think : "faith in God diminishes human dignity and value, lowers the level of a person's character, therefore the believer is insignificant, and the atheist is the opposite". This is also Satanic lies, it all began with Satan desiring to be like God, and later he led Adam and Eve to the same, deceitfully tricking them, and today he has taken hold of modern people.

When a person sits on a throne that is not meant for them, they do not become happy from it, but, on the contrary, unhappy. And world history knows many such examples. Therefore, we need God and His Scriptures, we need His forgiveness in Jesus Christ, and if we endure blows and mockery from arrogant people, despite this, we have humility, God's love and an eternal future !