I. INTRODUCTION

A. So many people are worried about so many problems in our nation.

1. They are worried about the economy, jobs, the national debt, "fiscal cliffs," taxes, inflation, healthcare, social security, terrorism, etc.

2. These issues are worth our concern, but anxiety over them solves nothing.

B. Faithful Christians do not need to participate in this national anxiety attack.

1. We serve the Almighty God who is infinitely greater than the nations. Consider Isaiah 40:15-17:

Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before Him, they are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless.

2. This does not mean that God is not concerned with the problems of our nation, but it does show that He is sovereign over all the nations, and their problems can be solved only according to His will.

a. David expressed this understanding in the assembly of Israel when he prayed, "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all" (1Chron. 29:11).

b. In a similar assembly, Jehoshaphat prayed, "O LORD, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You" (2Chron. 20:6).

3. Therefore, rather than worrying, Christians should look to God for solutions to any problems, whether they are national, personal, or otherwise.

a. The problems of this nation are rooted in a degrading moral and spiritual condition. They will be solved only when the nation repents and turns to God. "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people" (Prov. 14:34).

b. This national repentance will happen only if individuals and families seek after God. People must stop looking to men in government, science, and academia for answers.

c. If the nation will not turn, then it will not survive, for the Scripture says, "The wicked will return to Sheol, even all the nations who forget God" (Ps. 9:17).

d. Whether the government of our nation fails or not, faithful Christians can continue to thrive spiritually, for "our citizenship is in heaven" (Phil. 3:20), and we are "a holy nation, a people for God's own possession" (1Pet. 2:9).

C. With these thoughts in mind, let us consider Psalm 125, which teaches these very things and gives comfort to the people of God.

II. PSALM 125

A. In the ascription of this psalm, it is called "A Song of Ascents."

1. Psalms 120 through 134 have this ascription. All of them are very short.

2. No one knows for certain what this ascription means, but some believe that these were psalms sung by the Jews as they ascended Mount Zion to Jerusalem. They did this three times each year according to the law (Deut. 16:16). Psalm 125 is especially suited to such an occasion.

B. Consider this brief psalm:

¹Those who trust in the LORD

Are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever.

²As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

So the LORD surrounds His people

From this time forth and forever.

³For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest upon the land of the righteous,

So that the righteous will not put forth their hands to do wrong.

⁴Do good, O LORD, to those who are good

And to those who are upright in their hearts.

⁵But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways,

The LORD will lead them away with the doers of iniquity.

Peace be upon Israel.

C. Notice a few comments about each verse.

1. Verse 1 asserts that trust in God makes one as unmovable as Mount Zion. This is significant if we consider it in terms of the actual mountain, but it is even more significant if we consider it in terms of the figure of Mount Zion, which represents God's eternal kingdom (Isa. 2:2-4; Dan. 2:35, 44; Heb. 12:22-24).

2. Verse 2 describes the spiritual fortress that God is to His people.

a. Just as Jerusalem was at the top of Mount Zion and surrounded by the protection of mountains all around, so also God surrounds His trusting people with His protection.

b. If indeed the Jews did sing this psalm as they ascended Mount Zion, then the significance of this verse surely was apparent to them as they could see the mountains around them.

c. The idea of God as a fortress of protection for those who trust Him is also found in Psalm 91:1-2:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!"

3. Verse 3 states a principle concerning those who govern a nation and its citizens.

a. As a rule, the wicked will not rule in the land of the righteous. This is to prevent righteous people from doing wrong, which could be caused by wicked rulers' evil influence or the desperation of the people they govern.

b. This means that if we find the scepter of wickedness over our nation, then we are not living in the land of the righteous. If we want to do away with the scepter of wickedness, then we first must turn the people of the nation back to righteousness.

4. Verse 4 calls upon God to do good to those who are good and upright in heart. Regardless of the state of the nation, God will not "sweep away the righteous with the wicked" (Gen. 18:23).

5. Verse 5 shows that those who "turn aside to their own crooked ways" instead of trusting the Lord will be led away with the doers of iniquity. The outcome will be peace for God's holy nation.

III. CONCLUSION -- LESSONS FOR US

A. Those who trust in the Lord cannot be moved because the Lord surrounds them.

1. Security in God begins with trust. Do we trust Him to sustain us and protect us, or will we rely on ourselves and the wisdom of man? "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matt. 6:33).

2. To trust God, we must sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts (1Pet. 3:15) and be loyal to Him in every season. This foundation makes us unmovable in the work of the Lord (1Cor. 15:58).

B. The preservation of a nation will happen only when the people turn to the Lord.

1. Many years ago, God said of His people Israel in 2Chronicles 7:13-14:

"If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

2. The United States is not God's people called by His name, but He will nevertheless heal the land if the nation turns back to Him. This may require hardship, but God will not forsake the penitent.

3. For Christians, we must realize that politics will not save the nation, and government is not the solution or the problem.

a. Corrupt politics and ungodly elected leaders are symptoms of an unrighteous nation. A nation tends to get what it deserves. (Consider Israel -- 1Samuel 8:6-22.)

b. If we want to see the politics and leadership of America change, then we will have to work hard to turn the nation's citizens back to God. This work will have to be done among individuals, families, and churches, and it will probably take at least a generation.

C. Good comes to those who do good, but those who turn away from God will be punished.

1. The immutable law of sowing and reaping still stands over all of creation. "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap" (Gal. 6:7).

2. Of course, justice is not always done in this world, but what happens in this world is only the beginning of eternity. After the resurrection, Christ will judge the world in righteousness, and every soul will "be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (2Cor. 2:10; see also Acts 17:30-31; Rom. 2:5-11; 2Thess. 1:5-10).