Today we have come to the first of fifteen “Songs of Ascent.” Psalms 120-134 were sung by Jewish pilgrims as they made their way up to Jerusalem for their three annual festivals—Passover, Pentecost, and the Day of Atonement. These psalms have much to teach us about Christian discipleship, for we too are on a pilgrimage. Though we are on our way to God’s eternal city, we have not reached it yet. So we persevere in the journey, with “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction” (the title of Eugene Peterson’s book on these psalms). A pilgrim is a person who has become dissatisfied with where he or she has been and is on the way to something better. The starting place for our spiritual pilgrimage is to see the world for what it is, in order to turn away from it, with eyes fixed on God. Psalm 120 helps us do that. The psalmist is troubled by hostile neighbors who lie and speak deceitfully. Instead of answering back, he looks in a better direction. “In my distress I called to the LORD and He answered me.” Rather than engaging in useless arguments with others, we are wiser to call upon God for help (v 1-2). The answer God gives him is that the liar will not win. His “deceitful tongue” may cause painful wounds, but it will finally be destroyed by more powerful weapons: God’s “arrows” of truth and “coals” of judgment. The believer is defended by a mighty “Warrior” who loves justice and truth (v 3-4). Unfortunately, even as you seek to peacefully serve your neighbors, you may attract hostility. No matter how much you strive for peace, some people will remain committed to being your adversary. Like the psalmist, our dwelling is near “Meshech” and “Kedar,” two tribes representative of heathen peoples. Like it or not, conflict is virtually inevitable in this sin-cursed world (v 5-7). Why are the righteous slandered? Why do peaceable folks make others angry? As Derek Kidner explains, this is “simply the resentment of one way of life against its opposite.” It is “the incompatibility of light and darkness which no amount of goodwill, short of capitulation or conversion, can resolve. The New Testament counsels the Christian in this context against two opposite errors: on the one hand, compromise, and on the other, animosity.” So we follow the example of the psalmist, looking to God for His perspective and assistance. And we follow the example of Jesus, our Prince of Peace, who was reviled and abused, yet silently entrusted Himself to a righteous Judge. For further meditation: