Category: Psalm 129 – “Can’t Keep Me Down”

Romans 8:26-28 (NLT)

²⁶ And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. ²⁷ And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. ²⁸ And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

 

“The Christian faith is the discovery of that center in the God who sticks with us, the righteous God. Christian discipleship is a decision to walk in his ways, steadily and firmly, and then finding that the way integrates all our interests, passions and gifts, our human needs and our eternal aspirations. It is the way of life we were created for. There are endless challenges in it to keep us on the growing edge of faith; there is always the God who sticks with us to make it possible for us to persevere” [Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, 134].

 

Identify the personal pronouns in Romans 8:26-28 (i.e., I/me, you, she/her, he/him, it, we/us, they/them). Does this change the way you read this passage?

 

How can you make Psalm 129 into a prayer with specific requests?

 

God sticks with us – we have his Spirit to keep on keeping on. As fellow sojourners like the psalmist and the people of God throughout history, we all face obstacles, fears, or giants that stand in the way of our faith journey.  In those moments, let us in the Spirit pray until something happens (P.U.S.H.) according to his purpose.

 

-JH

Psalm 129:5-8 (NIV)

⁵ May all who hate Zion

be turned back in shame.

⁶ May they be like grass on the roof,

which withers before it can grow;

⁷ a reaper cannot fill his hands with it,

nor one who gathers fill his arms.

⁸ May those who pass by not say to them,

“The blessing of the LORD be on you;

we bless you in the name of the LORD.”

 

Who is the psalmist concerned about in verse 5?

 

Eugene Peterson writes, “The way of faith is not a fad that is taken up in one century only to be discarded in the next. It lasts. It is a way that works. It has been tested thoroughly” [A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, p. 128].

 

What does it mean to have ‘tough faith’ in your concern for God’s people?

 

Jesus says, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Does Jesus’ teaching contradict the above verses? Can there be a difference between your enemies and God’s enemies?

 

“The curse (imprecation) arises out of a dire need and a concern for God’s kingdom, not out of individual pettiness” [The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, p.919]. Jesus preached about the kingdom of God. As we look to persevere in this Christian walk, may we never lose sight of God’s kingdom with Christ as our King. Pray for a Christ-centered ‘tough faith’ that seeks God’s kingdom and righteousness for his people.

 

-JH

 

Psalm 129:4 (NIV)

⁴ But the LORD is righteous;

he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.

 

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)

¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

 

What do you do when there’s hurt, tiredness, failure, entanglement, etc., whether caused by another or self-inflicted?

 

How do you run with perseverance yet be patient?

 

Lamentations 3:22-25 (NLT)

²² The faithful love of the LORD never ends!

His mercies never cease.

²³ Great is his faithfulness;

his mercies begin afresh each morning.

²⁴ I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance;

therefore, I will hope in him!”

²⁵ The LORD is good to those who depend on him,

to those who search for him.

 

Run with God-sized vision towards Jesus – the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Patiently look at and reflect on all things in light of Jesus. If you have gotten sidetracked from God’s call, let his grace and mercies pick you up. Lift up whatever troubles or mistakes as you pray through the above passages.

 

-JH

Psalm 129:2-4 (NIV)

² “they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,

but they have not gained the victory over me.

³ Plowmen have plowed my back

and made their furrows long.

⁴ But the LORD is righteous;

he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.”

 

How long did the psalmist experience oppression (v.2)?

 

In verse 4, the psalmist looks to who the Lord is. Did the psalmist already experience God’s deliverance – why or why not?

 

Romans 8:32-34 (MSG)

³² If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? ³³ And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? ³⁴ Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us.

 

How much does God’s faithfulness affect your faith, especially when dealing with an ongoing difficulty?

 

Infinitely more than our own perseverance is God’s stick-to-it-iveness to us. God is faithfully loving no matter the circumstance. We may go through undulations or lulls in our faith, but God is consistent through and through. In Christ, God shows us what stick-to-it-iveness is all about so that we might walk sticking-to-God-iveness. Declare ‘the Lord is righteous’ in whatever concern you have. Receive God’s faithfulness to strengthen you with faith and certainty for that concern.

 

-JH

Psalm 129:1-3 (NLT)

From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me.
            Let all Israel repeat this:
From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me,
            but they have never defeated me.
My back is covered with cuts,
            as if a farmer had plowed long furrows.

What is repeated in the above passage?

The psalmist isn’t sugarcoating the repeated, ongoing situation – how does this psalm of ascent declare confidence in and praise of God in the midst of adversity?

What one and only option did the psalmist have?

What are some ongoing challenges that have been affecting you/your community for a long time?

“Sticktoitiveness” is an actual word for perseverance, which means ‘persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.’ Despite living in an instant society with quick fixes or immediate answers, sometimes you just got to ‘trust the process.’ Better yet, stick to God and trust his process for you.

Like the psalmist, declare your confidence in and praise of God for whatever difficulty you’re facing. Pray also for your church/campus/ministry and lift up any concerns and challenges to the Lord.

– JH