Chapter One
THE STANDING VICTORY
1.New Creature:
Psalm 120 is the first Song of Ascension. It describes the crisis when we realized that we were on the downward road of destruction and cried out to God for help. “ In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and He heard me ” Psalm 120:1. This is the first step, and from then we are on the high way to heaven having began our walk with the Lord! For many years we have thought that we could do without Him. We had been cock-sure we could manage our own lives by our own cleverness, knowledge and wisdom. We had never thought of calling upon God for help, and in many cases, we ended up as miserable failures. Then and then only did we realize that unless God took hold of us we would be completely ruined, and that there would be no hope for us either in this world or the next. It this way some took the first step because of some crises or the other, such as serious illness, grinding poverty or because of some crushing disappointment either in private or public life when all human comfort failed them; yet others, because of some enslaving and dominating sin from which no one could deliver them. Indeed God does use such varying circumstances in our lives to show us our helplessness and inability and to teach us to call upon Him for help and deliverance. When we call upon Him for salvation He answers us and becomes real and personal to us.
Let us see how God became real to David. Though David was full of zeal for God yet he did not have a personal experience with Him. So first he had to learn to come to an end of himself and his own devices. When his wife, his friend, his relations and even the priests failed to protect him from the jealous and murderous attacks of Saul he found shelter in a cave and called upon God; and there God became very real to him. Then he began to compose many Psalms, which are inspiring to people of all classes, and in all conditions of life, all over the world.
Psalm 120:2; “Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips. ” We suffer much because of lying lips and a deceitful tongue. This may apply to us or to others. When we tell a lie we lose our peace, and we cause others also to suffer because of the damage we do them. When others tell lies about us also, we suffer. So lies of any sort leave us miserable and we realize that only the living and loving God can preserve us and save us from lying lips and tongue.
Psalm 120:3, “What shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue? ” We find ourselves helpless to overcome our own tongues. We get angry at the least provocation, and our tongues get out of control and no human power is able to control them. We say hurtful things. Sometimes we say them even to our loving friends. Then we not only lose our peace because of our words but cause much trouble to those around us as well. It is true that we do not want to say hurtful words but still we fail many times. Only the power of God can help us to control our tongues.
James 3:1-15. The helm of a ship is small in size in comparison with the rest of the ship. Yet he captain can direct and change the whole course of the ship by his control over the helm. We need to bring our own tongues under the control of the power of God and then we shall be able to bring comfort to needy people. We shall be able to say in real humility that we are sorry when we have done wrong. But when we do not call upon God to control our tongues then lies and words of anger, jealousy, hatred and so on, rush out of our mouths and bring much loss and damage into many lives. After this becomes very difficult to confess and to say we are sorry for what we have said. Often we have to spend much time to bring peace between two contending parties. Even after both are fully convinced they were in the wrong, they refuse to say they are sorry or to ask pardon of each other. They will readily admit their share in the misunderstanding but as for saying, “I am sorry,” it seems impossibility to them! That is why the Psalmist admits in Psalm 120:1,that he called upon God in his distress. He recalls how his own tongue and that of others had spoken words of pride, hatred and anger. He had tried to control the words but had failed. Then he called upon God. We have seen this experience repeated in our own wretched condition in this and many others aspects of our lives and have cried unto Him and He delivered us. This is the first step of our great salvation.
2.God’s Help:
The Psalmist writes, “My help cometh from the Lord” (psalm 120:2). In Psalm 120 we see how David could not get help from any human source. Instead of finding help he had found trouble and strife. “Woe is me….. My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war ” (Psalm 120:5-7). Then we found how in his desperation he called upon God, and God comforted him (Psalm 120:1).
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills” (Psalm 121:1). In other words David stopped looking unto men for help and focused his gaze on the mighty and loving God who has all power in heaven and on earth. Then he found by experience that “He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep (Psalm 121:4)”. We have to learn to call again and again upon God Himself for help in every situation of our lives. In the world we shall have many tribulations, trials and temptations. Therefore we must learn, by prayer and waiting upon God, to seek His help for every step we take. When He helps us we shall be kept from stumbling.
I know some clever doctors who pray before they perform any operation. Some years ago I met a famous eye specialist in north India. He performed many operations a day and yet he never depended upon his own skill or past experience. Before each operation he would pray, “O God, help me, guide my hands and give me skill.” Then he would perform the operation in the full confidence that the Lord would certainly help him. God honored His faith. As a result he became not only a successful surgeon but also an earnest soul winner. Patients watched the specialist praying for operations as well as other needs and saw that God answered his prayers. The doctor’s testimony helped many patients to find the living God and accept Him as their Savior.
We should never think that it is a waste of time to pray before going anywhere or before doing any work, no matter how easy it may be. We gain much by praying. Whether we sweep or wash the dishes, or do some intricate technical work it is good to look unto our Lord and offer a few words of prayer. Many times people think prayer is unnecessary because they are experienced cooks. If they have this attitude then it may be that even if they use the necessary ingredients the food will not be tasty. But if you pray before cooking no matter how ignorant you are, the Lord will undertake for you and the food will be tasty. I have found this by experience. A few months after I was born again, it so happened that the only job I could get was to cook for about a hundred people. Nothing was spoilt and nothing wasted. I testify this to the glory of God. I had no experience whatsoever in cooking. But I looked unto the Lord and asked Him to tell me how much oil or butter or other ingredients I should put in. the result was that my first attempt at the cooking was such a success that I was even complimented on my skill.
By calling upon God we bring all His loving resources to our aid in all that we do. Just after a short prayer before beginning the task you are entrusted with. It makes no difference whether the job is simple and insignificant, or of great importance. You will find that everything that is committed to the Lord in prayer is done well. Therefore learn to claim God’s help for every need. Prove God daily in every situation. You can call any time either by day or by night. No matter how often you go to Him, He will never rebuke saying, “ Why have you come at this odd hour” or “why so you come and disturb me so many times?” Many men will say, “Come tomorrow or the day after.” But God will never put you off and you will be saved from many unhappy failures when you learn to call upon Him for help.
God is interested even in small things. We see this from the incident when Peter was rescued from prison (Acts 12:3-10). The church was praying for him and God sent an angel who woke up Peter and told him to put on his shoes. God knew that in his excitement Peter would leave them behind. Sometimes when I meet a person I find I cannot remember His name or recollect where I had met him. The moment I call upon God for help, He brings the concerned person’s name to my memory, and both of us are saved from embarrassment and enjoy our fellowship with each other to the glory of God.
3. Believers’ Fellowship:
The third step in the highway to victory is found in Psalm 122, which is the third Psalm in the series of “The Songs of Ascension”. Before we entered this highway we were self-sufficient, happy to live all by ourselves and for ourselves. But now this attitude is changed and we have received a desire to be with God’s people to enjoy with them. As members of God’s family we get a longing to share each other’s joy and sorrows. We desire to get together and worship the Lord who has bound us together in His love. By such a fellowship we are strengthened more and more spiritually. With this experience David says in Psalm 122; 1, “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord.” We too, as we take one step ahead in this spiritual life, get an increasing longing in our hearts to spend as much time as possible in the House of God in prayer and worship along with our fellow believers. Those who despise the fellowship of God’s people and love worldly activities are bound to remain poor spiritually. They miss the strength and encouragement, which is the portion of those who regularly meet together for Bible study, prayer, fellowship and service in the House of God.
That was the secret of the growth and strength of the early Church. We read in Acts 2:42 that the believers continued steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine and in fellowship, in breaking of bread and in prayer. By honoring God’s word thus they were able to safeguard themselves against the attacks of the enemy. In these end days we know that the enemy is more active. In 2 Tim 3:1-13 there is a list of different kinds of sins that will be prevalent in the end days. If we want to overcome these we must stand together in close fellowship with God and His people. We cannot conquer any situation by ourselves. You may spend hours together with your Bible at home. That will not strengthen you as much as a time of fellowship spent with the believers. In olden days monks and nuns retired to lonely places in jungles and spent their time in meditation and prayers hoping that thereby, in the end, they would be strong enough to overcome the enemy easily. But they became worse and weaker after being all by themselves. Many believers are defeated for the same reason and are weal spiritually. They allow worldly activities and worldly friendships to prevent them coming to the House of God for fellowship. We need to learn well that the more we have regular fellowship with the believers in the House of God and the more we take part in any service in the House of God the stronger will be our spiritual life.
Now please see how the Psalmist came to the House of God gladly; with a willing heart, and not by compulsion. Many believers have no desire to attend meetings. They have to be compelled to go to the House of God. Some are dragged by their mothers, some by friends, and some others by their children. They loose much of the blessings because they do not come with an expectant heart. On the contrary if they come joyfully to the House of God, they will receive the best blessings. Also, we must go right inside the House of God. Some people attend the meetings just for the sake of attending or because they were compelled to attend. They are quite satisfied to occupy the last seat because it is convenient for them to leave whenever they want. But when you go right inside and take your full share in every part of the service you will find much joy and strength, and then you will grow spiritually.
By thus coming into the House of God we are brought into the experience of the authority of God’s throne (Psalm 122:5). As we pray together we can claim God’s authority to bind Satan and its power. We cannot exercise this authority by alone. It is given to the Church as a whole.
Again, by coming to God’s House our peace increases and we prosper in our ways (Psalm 122:7). By taking our share joyfully, faithfully and regularly in God’s House our peace and prosperity will multiply.
May the Lord grant us the burden and longing to be in His House along with His people to see His beauty forever and ever.