Whispering Pines Church

Psalms of Ascent: Psalm 126 Joy The desire and pursuit of a fulfilling and joyful life must be one of the few ideals that our world can agree on nearly 100%. The path to joy, however, may be one of the most disagreed upon issues in our world. The paths to joy are numerous and vary greatly. Pleasure as a path to joy suffers from escalating costs and diminishing returns. Yet chasing after bright and fleeting moments of happiness remains an important pastime for many. Like many other blessings described to us in scripture, we’re taught to seek first the kingdom of heaven, and then all of these other things will follow. Scripture, from the first few pages to the very last, shows us the way of discipleship, and joy is one its primary consequences. Written at the end of their Babylonian exile, on their return to Israel, Psalm 126 is a song about the sort of joy that comes as a consequence of holding onto God and God alone. (For an interesting comparison, see Psalm 137, which commemorates the beginning of their e