Psalms of Ascent - Week 1

There’s something deeply human about singing on the journey. Slaves sang through suffering. Soldiers sang through exhaustion. Travelers built playlists for long roads because songs have a way of carrying us when our legs and hearts get tired. Psalm 120 opens the Psalms of Ascent with a song that isn’t polished or peaceful. It’s raw. Honest. Discordant. A weary pilgrim surrounded by lies, hostility, and conflict crying out, “I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war.” The road to Jerusalem was uphill, but so was the spiritual climb. And before the worshipper ever reached the Temple, the song itself was already shaping the soul.

Pastor Donovan reminded us that following God does not mean pretending everything feels okay. Psalm 120 gives permission to be honest about hurt, exhaustion, betrayal, and the ache of living among people who wound with their words. Some wounds were spoken over us years ago and still echo today. Yet the Psalmist refuses to become what surrounds him. He keeps calling out to God. Keeps speaking peace. Keeps walking uphill. The psalm ends unresolved because faith is often lived in tension. We are travelers still climbing, strangers longing for home, learning that our identity is not ultimately defined by the lies spoken against us but by the God who hears us when we cry out.