Immovable as a Mountain: Psalm 125

Immovable as a Mountain

Psalm 125

Assurance blossoms into prayer.

Derek Kidner

Mountains have long been a beautiful, awe-inspiring picture of stability and strength. We gaze on their immensity and beauty and we are filled with wonder. Mountains are formed when tectonics plates in the Earth’s crust move and collide. Specifically volcanic mountains are formed when pressure and heat build up and force lava out, and the magma then cools and hardens forming more mountain mass. Fold mountains form when there is “a great deal of fiction or pressure that builds up along the plate edges as they shift and move against one another” (world atlas.com). Collision, pressure, heat, friction. These all contribute to the forming of beautiful, majestic, immovable mountains. So it is with us. The Lord uses the pressures, heat, and friction of life to build in us an immovable trust in Him.

The Lord says through the psalmist, “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever” (Psalm 125:1). The one who trusts Him is immovable, unshakeable, firmly established, steadfast. But what if I see those words and immediately recognize that I feel far from unshakeable or immovable? The reality is that at times I feel “tossed to and fro and carried about” by the pressures of life or the weakness of my own mind and body. What gives us the stability needed so that in every circumstance, instead of feeling shaken and disturbed, we remain unmoved from our hope and joy? It is learning to trust in the Lord when we are faced with the pressures and friction of life that over time builds an unshakeable confidence in the Lord.

The example of the psalmist is that he reminds himself and us that “trust in God is the key to a stable life” (Longman). A stable life is ours, not because there is no upheaval in life, but because we are looking persistently and perseveringly to the Lord. The psalmist wasn’t living in a time of prosperity. Rather, the bleak situation was “evil had apparently the upper hand and the righteous are wavering” (Kidner). And yet, because of his confidence in God, the psalmist knew to turn to God in prayer, seeking His help and aid. This is the key to a stable life and faith. The key to becoming immovable and unshakeable. With each circumstance that brings heat or pressure into our lives, we trust the Lord again and still. We see the friction of life as another stone laid in the foundation, a foundation of God’s faithfulness upon which we can stand.

It may be that the very intensity of our suffering is to decrease our dependency on ourselves and increase our dependence on God. The pressure and friction that causes us to see our neediness drives us to rely on the Lord. The more severe the suffering, the more opportunity to realize that we are weak, but He is strong. We are powerless, but He has sovereign dominion over all things. We may despair of life, but He raises the dead. Things may appear hopeless from our human perspective. But as we grow to know our God, we learn to have an unshakeable confidence in Him and His perfect purposes and ways in the details of our lives and the consummation of all things for the glory of His name. This unshakeable confidence causes us to come to Him again and again, even and especially in the heat of life.

We look to His promise in 1 Peter 5:10 (NASBS). “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” God Himself will perfect you so that you are not deficient in any way. He will confirm you, making you steadfast in mind. He will strengthen you with His own might, which is surpassingly great (Ephesians 1:19-20). And He will establish you, making you firm and stable. All of that flows from suffering. And all because of Christ. Christ‘s death and resurrection not only redeemed us from sin and death, but it transforms our suffering. Instead of the heat and pressure from life tearing us down, it actually builds us up, making us stronger and more fit for the kingdom. The cross also means we can have boldness and confidence to come to our mighty God. Unshakeable confidence, immovable faith, and freedom from fear were purchased for us on the cross. Let’s use it to continue to be urgent, steadfast, and persistent in prayer. “What a beautiful combination: confidence and urgency in prayer!” (VanGemeren) Confidence in our God and drawing near to Him with our needs in the pressures of life will build in us an immovable faith.

Let’s pray through Psalm 125 for an immovable faith that clings to our Savior.

125:1-3 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore. For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong.

Lord, I pray:

▫️I want an immovable faith that trusts You and Your ways in the midst of the pressures of life. At times I feel weak and wavering when the day is hard or the sad things continue to stack up. Give me the spiritual eyes to see how the pressures and friction of life are actually building up my faith as I look to You for help and cling to You.

▫️Your Word says that the one who trusts in You is like Mt. Zion which cannot be moved but abides forever. I want that to be true of me. I want to rely on You and not myself. I want to have a comfort and confidence because I know You and trust Your ways. Take these present sufferings and use them to build me up and cause me to have perseverance, character, and a hope that will never disappoint (Romans 5:4-5).

▫️Trust in You is the key to a stable life. It is not a life without hardship, but because Your character and faithfulness are my foundation, I can stand firm and trust You even in ________. I place ________ in Your hands and trust Your wisdom in this.

▫️Surround me today with Your lovingkindness and tender mercy. Work on my behalf so that the wicked will not prevail in my life. When it seems that wickedness has the upper hand, it is hard to continue to live righteously. I do not want myself or my loved ones to stretch out our hands to do what is wrong. Rise up for our help!

125:4-5 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts! But those who turn aside to their crooked ways the Lord will lead away with evildoers! Peace be upon Israel!

Lord, I pray:

▫️Do good to me, I pray. Show me a sign for good today especially regarding ________. Encourage my heart that You are working, You are producing what is good even though right now it may not appear good.

▫️I am asking for You to do big things. I am asking in faith that You will ________. Give me the courage to wait with patient perseverance upon You while doing those things which lie within my power to do (Cowman).

▫️Use this suffering in my life to perfect me so that I am not deficient in anyway for service to You. Confirm me making me steadfast of mind and heart so that nothing will cause me to stumble or move away from the hope I have in You. Strengthen me with Your surpassingly great power so that I will not grow weary in doing good. Use this suffering to establish me, making me firm and stable. Use this suffering to give me an unshakeable, immovable faith and trust in You in all things.

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May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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