Psalm 125:1 Secure and Rooted

Have you ever had a seemingly ordinary passage of Scripture suddenly come alive to you?

I was sitting in church a few weeks ago, when the first two verses of Psalm 125 suddenly hit me. As I delved deeper into those verses, the rest of the psalm came into focus and I realized that this short psalm is full of truths about God’s protection and care for His people.

I was so blessed by it, I thought it might be encouraging to others as well. So come with me and let’s walk through this psalm verse by verse:

This week, let’s look at verse 1:

“They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.”

Right off the bat, we see a picture of something strong and unmovable. I have never been to Israel, but even I know that Mount Zion isn’t just some pile of dirt: it’s made of solid rock.

This verse reminds us that those who trust in the Lord will be just as secure and unmovable as this massive mountain of rock.

And although I’m not a geologist, even I know that mountains don’t just sit on top of the ground. They are rooted deep into the earth. The thought of pulling a mountain up, roots and all, and placing it somewhere else is not just impossible, it’s downright absurd! Perhaps that is why moving mountains was the illustration Jesus chose to use to teach His disciples about what God can do in response to faith-fueled prayers in Matthew 21:21-22.

From a human standpoint, it is utterly impossible to lift or move a whole mountain. Mount Zion is weighty, strong, and rooted deep and secure down into the depths of the earth—and that’s how firmly rooted you and I are, having put our trust in the Lord.

Of course, there are many things we can trust God for, but the first that comes to mind in light of this passage is salvation. When we humbly come to the Lord in repentance of our sin, choosing to trust that the finished work of Christ has paid in full the penalty of our sin, we are securely placed in Christ. Jesus Himself put it this way:

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” (John 10:27-30)

So, you see, once we belong to Christ, we are unalterably His forever. As Romans 8 says,

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.” (38-39)

Just as nothing man can do will ever be able to pluck up mount Zion and transplant it somewhere else, so nothing we or any other creature can do will ever be able to separate us from Christ. And notice that it is not just our “legal” position in Christ that cannot be removed, but His love. We are secure in His hands and His heart.

That is why the picture of being unmovable like mount Zion is so encouraging. It reminds us that we are secure, firmly rooted in the God in whom we trust. Ephesians puts this beautifully:

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” (3:17-19)

When we are trusting God, He roots us so deep in His own love that it becomes the foundation of everything we do. It is then that we are filled with “all the fulness of God.” We so often find ourselves feeling empty simply because we need to return to our root: God’s great love for us.

Colossians 2:6-7 also refers to Christians being “rooted”

“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”

We who trust in the Lord are firmly rooted, secure in Christ forever, unmovable as a mountain in Him. This forms the foundation of our life in Christ, His love keeps us rooted, growing, abounding and grateful!

“Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask of think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end, Amen.” (Ephesians 3:21)