Psalm 128 – Walk
To walk is a blessing. I thank God for feet, albeit flat, and knees, though arthritic, that keep me moving. So much better than the alternative. What does it mean to walk with God? What do we learn from Psalm 128 – walk?
Psalm 128
To walk is to move at a regular pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn, never having both feet off the ground at once. You might say it is a balancing act. Psalm 128, another song of ascents used by pilgrims going to Jerusalem, begins with words of blessings on all who walk in obedience to God.
“Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him.” (1)
How blessed, indeed, to be able to go to Jerusalem and enter its gates. And how do we know someone fears the Lord? They walk in God’s ways. “This explains what the psalmist meant by the fear of the LORD. It wasn’t fundamentally a matter of having certain feelings toward God, but a matter of a life of obedience.” Psalm 128 – Enduring Word
The psalm goes on to mention ways that God blesses such a person.
“You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots around your table.
Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord.” (2-4)
They will be blessed with prosperity and many children. Another translation of verse 2 is: “When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy.” Those who fear the Lord and walk in obedience to God will be happy.
Blessings on Jerusalem
The psalm ends with prayers for more blessings, praying for Jerusalem. “Not only are they blessed in their work life and family, but their nation prospers. For the one who fears the LORD, it is a blessing for him to see the good of Jerusalem. It shows that there is a sense in which a happy home is not enough; we must also have care for our community and nation.” Psalm 128 – Enduring Word
“May the Lord bless you from Zion; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
May you live to see your children’s children—peace be on Israel.” (5-6)
The writer concludes with prayers for grandchildren and for peace for Israel. Again, family and community are linked in blessings.
“The psalm ends with this happy and confident declaration. The psalmist understood that if the people of Israel did fear the LORD, this blessing of shalom would be evident in their community, in their family, and in the kingdom as a whole.” Psalm 128 – Enduring Word
Walking with God
My husband and I have a friend who lives in a house surrounded by trees on the side of dune near lake Michigan. I love to sit on his deck among the trees, breathing in their goodness, watching branches sway in the breeze. Or walking the road to Lake Michigan, enjoying the beauty of trees – forest bathing. It is good for body and spirit. In the same way we are to walk with God, breathing in God with every step.
Before the fall Adam and Eve walked with God in the garden. God was everywhere, around them, talking with them face to face. I suspect they had no idea what they had lost till it was too late. Now we struggle to regain that which they threw away.
Micah 6:8b tells us what God requires of us – “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
How do we know we are walking with God? By our fruits. Paul in Galatians, tells us to walk by the Spirit. The Spirit gives us the strength to resist our sinful nature. In his Bible Study, Paul’s Short Letters, Peter DeHaan describes walking by the spirit.
“As we walk by the Spirit, however, we’ll move toward a different result. We’ll produce good fruit instead. This is love, joy peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” If we are walking with God, we will experience the fruits of God’s spirit.
Psalm 128 – Walk
I love the image of walking as a balancing act. It has been many years since I took my first wobbly step. But what a joy. Now walking is so commonplace that I forget what it entails – the ability to balance. I need that balance, especially as I grow older and start to wobble again. God sustains me, blessing me even when I fall.
In Psalm 128 – walk, we see how those who walk in obedience to the Lord receive many blessings. But the greatest blessing is being with our God.
Do you walk with God? If not, why not? What is holding you back?
(For another take on this psalm, see Psalm 128: Blessed – Patricia M Robertson)
This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and receive a free copy of Still Dancing, the second book in my Dancing through Life Series. click here to sign up
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