Songs of Ascent: a 15 day Bible reading plan

Psalms 120-134 are known as the "Songs of Ascent," which describe a person's pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

Now, as described in Revelation 21, ancient Jerusalem was merely a precursor for the "New Jerusalem," which we call heaven. So the Songs of Ascent are more that a travelogue of heading to Jerusalem. They're meant to symbolize our life's journey toward God's Kingdom.

Each of the Songs of Ascent is relatively short, so a nice reading plan revolves around reading (and meditating upon) one of the songs each day for a 15-day period. Let's give this reading plan a try, and see where we stand spiritually in 15 days!

Jesus the mediator

In Job 9:32-35 (NLT), Job laments,

God is not a mortal like me,

so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial.

If only there were a mediator between us,

someone who could bring us together.

The mediator could make God stop beating me,

and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment.

Then I could speak to him without fear,

but I cannot do that in my own strength.

Job is rightly celebrated as a man who maintained faith under fire. But he was more than that! These verses indicate that, in the midst of his duress, Job appeared to anticipate, albeit incompletely, God's great plan.

Removing any remaining mystery, Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:5 (NLT),

There is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.

So Paul clarifies that Jesus is that mediator. But I like to occasionally return to Job 9:32-35 to refresh myself on why we need a mediator. Reread those verses, and then thank God for including us in his plan!

Living on "vegetables and water"

In Daniel 1, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attempts to train a group of wise men from among the exiled Hebrews. He assigns them a daily ration of food and wine from the royal kitchen. Daniel, one of the men chosen for this training, refuses the food and wine rations. Daniel instead asks for a ration of vegetables and water, which creates a minor controversy in the palace.

It would have been easier for Daniel simply to accept the royal rations, but evidently he wanted to avoid the sinful behaviors of the society in which he lived. Of course, we all face similar situations. Do we take the easy, possibly sinful, route and go along with the crowd? Or do we eschew those actions to stay obedient to God?

Daniel trusted in God, and as a result (Daniel 1:15, NLT),

At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king.

Let us try to emulate Daniel's example.

Why do the nations rage?

Psalm 2:1 (ESV) reads,

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

To better understand this verse, note that the word "nations" is translated from the Hebrew word "goy," which in ancient Hebrew was used to described a group of people, usually of non-Hebrew descent. But that non-Hebrew detail becomes lost in modern English Bibles, the majority of which translate that word simply as "nation."

The King James Version somewhat rectifies this confusion by translating the verse as

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

So whether that word is translated as "nation" or "heathen," the word evidently implies a person (or persons) operating outside of God's will. That describes us when we disobey God!

The message of the verse is this: When we operate our lives outside of God's will, our actions are "vain," or useless. Even worse, they lead to "rage," rather than the peace that God wants us to enjoy. Today, in our prayers, let us try to discern what God wants from us.

Give thanks to the Lord

The first verse of Psalm 118 reads (NLT),

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.

Those are famous words repeated throughout the Bible. Note that those words give us a command. That is, we are to give thanks to God. Further, those words give us the reason that we should follow the command: Because God loves us with an incomprehensible, unending love.

Those words are powerful, but they're also simple. They form the basis for wonderful prayers throughout the day. We should frequently stop what we're doing, spend a few minutes giving God thanks, and recognize why we're giving him thanks.

Maintain focus during prayer

In Colossians 4:2 (NLT), Paul says,

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

And in Ephesians 6:18 (NLT), Paul says,

Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers.

Proper prayer is hard work! These verses, and many others like them, command us not to be casual and lazy about prayer. But how do we maintain focus during prayer? Today, let us follow the advice given by Jesus in Matthew 6:6 (NLT),

When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private.

God will answer

If we emphasize God above all else, he promises to answer our prayers. But God promises more than just that -- He promises to answer our prayers before we even pray! In Isaiah 64:24 (KJV), God says

And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

Once again, we encounter the theme that God doesn't care about the specific words of our prayer. Rather, he cares about the state of our hearts. So, today, before praying, let us humble ourselves before him by removing those obstacles that separate us from his presence.

Unpleasant Bible verses

Many people, myself included, are drawn toward pleasant Bible passages, such as Psalm 23. By contrast, the unpleasant passages make us uncomfortable, or perhaps even scared. But those passages appear in the Bible because they contain important spiritual insights. Therefore, unpleasant as they are, we cannot ignore them.

Turning to Ezekiel 14:3 (NLT),

...these leaders have set up idols in their hearts. They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin. Why should I listen to their requests?

If we emphasize idols (e.g., success, money, social standing) over God, then he won't listen to our prayers. That message clearly is unpleasant, but it's also important.

Let us make every effort to remove those idolatrous focuses from our lives. Then we'll get the most out of prayer!