Jim Gallagher

Psalm 126:5-6

“Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

Genesis, Chapter 1, describes the creation of the universe. We read the earth was without form and void until God spoke, and all things were brought into being. There is a clear contrast between the chaotic state of things before God spoke, and the orderly universe that He designed. Ever since that day, man has been discovering laws that govern the physical world. These laws were designed by God to keep order, and we have learned to trust in them . I believe it was Sir Isaac Newton who was attributed with the quote, “What goes up must come down” in response to his findings about gravity.

Here, the Psalmist speaks of another basic law of nature…

1 Chronicles 26:13

“And they cast lots for each gate, the small as well as the great, according to their father’s house.”

As David recounts those who would serve in the various capacities within the house of the Lord, he reminds us that all service, small or great, is determined by the Lord. Those who would attend to the gates of the city were chosen by lot. A person given charge over a lesser gate, needed to serve with the same faithfulness as one who served at a larger gate. This is a key principle in ministry. Jesus put it like this,

“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And…

Psalm 124:8

“Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.”
I have always been somewhat puzzled by the marketing slogan “one size fits all.” It seems that really means it might fit, but it won’t fit well. It is much like the all-in-one tools that don’t seem to do any jobs quite right.
Life is like that, the circumstances we face often determine our greatest need. If we are lost, we need a map. If we are locked out, we need a key. If we are hungry, we need a meal. It seems counterintuitive that one answer could solve every problem. Yet, that is exactly what the Psalmist is suggesting.
“Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.”
No matter what struggle I might be facing, the Lord not only has a solution, but He is the solution.

Psalm 123:1-2

“Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He has mercy on us.”

The Psalmist compares the way he looks to the Lord, to the way a servant looks to a master. If we are going to understand the comparison, we need to consider how a servant would look to a master. It seems to me, one word would describe it best. A servant looks to his master obediently. The role of the servant is to do the will of the master, and in order to do that, he must look to the master for instruction and respond with obedience. The servant does not have the right…

1 Chronicles 24:4

“There were more leaders found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar, and thus they were divided. Among the sons of Eleazar were sixteen heads of their fathers’ houses, and eight heads of their fathers’ houses among the sons of Ithamar.”

Webster’s dictionary defines a chronicle as “a historical account of events arranged in order of time without analysis or interpretation.” The main purpose of 1Chronicles is to give an historical record of the nation of Judah. This chapter focusses on the descendants of Aaron, the priest. While it may seem less than devotional to read a list of names, I think it is worth noting, that a system based on heritage would require a huge emphasis upon raising the next generation to follow the Lord. If Israel was going to remain as the people of God, then the priests would have to…

Psalm 122:1

“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’”

The writer of Hebrews exhorts us not to forsake the gathering together of the brethren (Hebrews 10:25). In other words; get to church! That is the heart of what David is singing about in this Psalm. He begins by declaring what a blessing it is to have someone invite him to the house of the Lord. Even as the king of a nation, David was still a man, and as a man, it would be wonderful to receive an invitation from someone to attend worship.

Recently, I met a woman at our church who began attending because of an invitation from someone she met at a park. While they were chatting about the kids and the weather, her new acquaintance began to talk with her about the Lord, and invited her…

Psalms 121:1-2​

“I will lift up my eyes to the hills—

From whence comes my help? 

My help comes from the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.”

Life is filled with trying experiences. We are often faced with difficulties we would not wish on our enemies, or with circumstances we would love to change. These experiences can shake us at the core of who we are and cause us to look outside of ourselves for assistance. We can learn a vital lesson from the Psalmist, who, in the midst of his difficulty, chose not to look out to his friends, or back to his old ways, or around at what others might be doing, but instead, he chose to look up to the only One who could truly assist him in his time of need.

When life throws things at us that we cannot handle, we need to remember…