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Ascent

Three times per year, the Jews traveled from far away to Jerusalem to participate in the great worship festivals. They were long, slow journeys by foot through the desert wilderness, they seemed like they would never end. Psalms 120-134, known as the "Songs of Ascent" are songs believed to have been sung by these Hebrew pilgrims on their way to the Jerusalem temple. Jerusalem was the highest city in Palestine, so they spent much of their time literally ascending. These Psalms also reveal a spiritual ascension; They sing out a life lived increasingly upward to God. There’s that saying, “The days are long but the years are short.” That can be true of a lifetime walking with Jesus. Like those journeys by foot, a relationship with God is anything but quick. It is long, slow, and takes great endurance. We live in a hurried world that is impatient for results. The world conditions us for short attention spans and taking short cuts. It's a world where anything worthwhile can be acquired at once. If something can be done, it must be done quickly. A world where everything is dispensable. We're bred to be tourists. When something no longer serves its purpose, we toss it aside to make room for the next latest and greatest. The way of the world can easily bleed into our walk with God. Coming to faith is one thing, sustaining it is another. It’s a long, slow walk. Millions make a decision for Christ, but evidence for mature Christian discipleship is slim. There’s a great market for quick religious experiences but little interest in the patient acquisition of virtue and holiness. There’s little interest to sign up for a long apprenticeship. Whatever God has, we want it in a hurry, with as little discomfort as possible. These Psalms walk us through Christian discipleship and what that looks like in our daily life.

September 15, 2019