Psalm 126 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 126 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.
Verse 2Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them."
Verse 3The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
Verse 4Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb.
Verse 5May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
Verse 6Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
Devotion
What does Advent hope look like to you?
Psalm 126, most scholars agree, refers to a time when God heard the longing of God’s people and finally responded after a long season of waiting. It was a time of joy and restoration for God’s people, a time when God did what God does best—making broken things whole, again! The Temple was being rebuilt and the Judean exiles could return home. There was restoration and new life for Zion! The psalm sings of how the longing of God’s people and their generations of prayers had been answered!
Perhaps, as for this psalmist, Advent hope is claiming that truth and proclaiming it loudly, that because God has brought restoration once, God will do so again. God made a way when it seemed like there was no way—God will do it, again.
I wonder what longing of your heart needs that kind of hope during this Advent season?
Prayer
God Of Hope, hear the longings of our hearts and the cries of your people across the world. Bring your restoration and your peace. Amen.