Read the Psalm

Building upon the theme of trust in Psalm 124, this psalm turns to a prayer describing the life that flows from trust. “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever.” God Himself is the foundation of our trust, our confidence … our security. As one is secure in God’s presence and activity in their life, they become like a mountain.

Mount Zion was the most holy, significant place for those walking toward Jerusalem. It was iconic and at the center of all their hopes and dreams. Mount Zion represented the presence of God, and it also contained the temple which was a “house of prayer for all peoples.” Psalm 87:1-3 declares, “On the holy mount stands the city he founded; the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God.”

A life of trusting the Lord (Yahweh) makes us like this holy mountain. Trust transports us to center of God’s life and presence in this world. As we trust and rest in His goodness and grace, our hearts are opened to know and experience His presence. For the first pilgrims who sang this psalm, it would have been a profound, humbling thing to say … “those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion.” Mount Zion? That place where God’s glory dwells. Yes. When we trust, we are like that … a place where God’s glory dwells.

This is who we are. Whether we are trusting or not, in Christ we are God’s temple and God’s Spirit dwells in us. (2 Corinthians 3:16) Again, this is an incredibly humbling reality. The glory and presence of God dwells within us. The challenge is the question that the Apostle Paul asked both in 2 Corinthians 3 as well as in chapter 6: “do you not know?” that you are God’s temple and your body is temple of the Holy Spirit? This illustrates that possibility that we may live in ignorance of this profound reality. 

Our identity is as solid as a mountain. To live in the awareness of this reality is to “not be moved but abide forever.” This identity is not something that needs to be acquired, but realized. We are in union with God and His dwelling place is us! In one of his books on contemplation, Martin Laird shares a helpful analogy based on this first verse of Psalm 125. He writes:

“The marvelous world of thoughts, sensation, emotions, and inspiration, the spectacular world of creation around us, are all patterns of stunning weather on the holy mountain of God. But we are not the weather. We are the mountain. Weather is happening – delightful sunshine, dull sky, or destructive storm – this is undeniable. But if we think we are the weather happening on Mount Zion, then the fundamental truth of our union with God remains obscured and our sense of painful alienation heightened.”

We are the mountain, not the weather. And there is always weather happening. In Psalm 125, it is the weather of injustice. We’ll reflect on that in a few days. Our temptation is to identify with our thoughts, feelings, emotions, and the circumstances around us. 

Laird goes on to suggest that “there are two contemplative practices of fundamental importance in the Christian tradition: the practice of stillness (also called meditation, still prayer, contemplative prayer, etc.) and the practice of watchfulness or awareness.” As we move into the prayer of stillness, we are able to see that we are the dwelling place of God … we are the mountain. The storms may rage but we experience a grounding and foundation in our identity in God’s presence. We’ll reflect on the second practice tomorrow but the invitation today is to stillness, to quiet.

Psalm 46:10 encourages: “Be still, and know that I am God.” There is something significant about stillness and its ability to lead us through the mental and emotional clutter into a deep sense of knowingness. In Psalm 46, wars were raging and mountains seemed to be melting into the sea, but a response of stillness led to an experience of God in the midst of it all. Contemplative prayer is simply sitting quietly in God’s presence. 

Reflection questions: Spend some time in quiet and stillness before God. As the weather approaches, let it pass by and see yourself at one with the mountain which is God’s presence. You may not find this easy (most of us don’t) but seek “being still” for even a moment that you might see God. Ask God for help. Come back again and again to this simple practice.

Prayer: Lord, I want to live as the mountain. Give me the strength and help to let the weather pass by so that I find my identity in our relationship. Amen.