This month, we are returning to our devotions through the book of Psalms. These are like “do-it-yourself” devotions. Instead of hearing someone else’s reflections, each day I’ll ask you to reflect on the Psalm yourself using some simple questions that you can use with any Psalm.

The two questions I’ll ask you to think about are:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus? It could be something about his ministry, his suffering and death, his resurrection, his kingdom, or what God has done for us through Jesus.

But don’t worry if you can’t always think of something – just read, reflect and pray.

Psalm 122

A song of ascents; by David.

1 I was glad because they said to me,
“We will go to the LORD’s temple.”
2 Our feet are standing
inside your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is a city designed
to accommodate an assembly.
4 The tribes go up there,
the tribes of the LORD,
where it is required that Israel
give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5 Indeed, the leaders sit there on thrones and make legal decisions,
on the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
May those who love her prosper.
7 May there be peace inside your defenses,
and prosperity inside your fortresses.
8 For the sake of my brothers and my neighbors
I will say, “May there be peace in you.”
9 For the sake of the temple of the LORD our God
I will pray for you to prosper.

Psalm 123

A song of ascents.

1 I look up toward you,
the one enthroned in heaven.
2 Look, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a female servant look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes will look to the LORD, our God, until he shows us favor.
3 Show us favor, O LORD, show us favor!
For we have had our fill of humiliation, and then some.
4 We have had our fill
of the taunts of the self-assured,
of the contempt of the proud.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.