In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves

Psalm 127:1-5

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—  for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.

Why?

We are doing many things and work, learning from this world to do the best, but if not the blessing of the Lord everything is in vain. Even we rise early and stay up late. Only the Lord grants sleep to those he loves.

Children are a heritage from the Lord, so this is a blessing.

How?

We are nothing without the love of the Lord, blessing is those who know the Lord.

Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy

Psalm 126:1-6

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter,  our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.

dream: men restored to health.

Restore our fortunes: bring back our captives.

Why?
The real joy is the Lord restored us to health and brought back our captives. 

Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Keep working with the Lord and trust in the Lord, the reap with songs of joy is no one can compare.

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流淚撒種的，必歡呼收割！

來到主面前該思想主曾經在我們身上賜下的恩典

1)回憶曾經的復興： 70年的被擄等待，終於歸回耶路撒冷。當人認為沒有可能復興的可能時，復興忽然來到。v2.外邦中就有人說：耶和華為他們行了大事！（不認識耶和華的外邦人說的)。透過外邦人的口，神的名被彰顯！

2)求未來的復興： v4 求你使我們被擄的人歸回，好像南地的河水復流。也可以解釋為求你使我們從苦境中(靈裏的不是肉體的被擄）。以色列地愈南邊是愈乾燥的，北邊多雨是好的牧場。南地是沙漠中是不可能有水。神是在沙漠中開江河的神！

3)v5-6 相信復興一定會來到：撒種為何流淚?在一種完全沒有希望的地方撒種！看不見希望下撒種!甚至有人譏笑！即在艱難的環境中依然工作，相信神必成就!

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How?

Let me return with songs of joy and remember the Lord has done great things for us.

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever

Psalm 125:1-5

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore. 

The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil.

Lord, do good to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart. But those who turn to crooked ways the Lord will banish with the evildoers.

But those who turn to crooked ways the Lord will banish with the evildoers.

Why?

Trust in the Lord is like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. This is the blessing of the living Lord.

The righteous and wicked have different consequences.

The Psalmist prays to the Lord to do good to those who are good, For sometimes we will see those who do right have bad accidents. We don't know the reason why.

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詩人想像如果沒有神的情況！詩人看見耶路撒冷的地形、地勢在耶路撒冷城周圍，讚美神如周圍的山圍繞我們。

我們出外時看到美景是否也像詩人一般讚美神?求聖靈讓我們有敏銳的心，讓神透過我們的環境的景色向我們說話。

當我們有願意歸向神的心時，持守神的話，神賜我們力量，勝過試探、罪惡。不是我們行了公義的事，神才幫助我們！

行彎曲道路的人，是按照自己的私意而行，不是按照神的話而行！

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How?

God is good, the Lord surrounds his people both now and forever.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth

Psalm 124:1-8

If the Lord had not been on our side— let Israel say— if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us, they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us; the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away.

Praise be to the Lord, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Why?

David knew that his life and his people if the Lord had not been on their side, they had been swallowed by their enemies.

David praised the Lord "Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. David knows that the Lord is the Maker of heaven and earth.

Most people don't know the Lord, who created this world.

How?

The Lord who is the Maker of heaven and earth. Praise be to the Lord.

Our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us his mercy

 Psalm 123:1-4

I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven. As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us his mercy.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us, for we have endured no end of contempt. We have endured no end of ridicule from the arrogant, of contempt from the proud.

Why?

Look to the hand of our God like a female slave looks to the hand of her mistress. For our hope and way rely on the Lord. And we are servants of the Lord.

Have mercy on us, because we have endured no end of ridicule from the arrogant.

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這些詩篇可以連貫來看，前一篇來聖城敬拜。

人可以向神求，但是詩人極度卑微，謙卑的態度來祈求！如迦南婦人心裏存卑微的心來到耶穌面前。

詩人稱神為“坐在天上的主啊”，承認神掌管天地一切權柄，祂是主我是僕人。僕人：奴隸的身份。僕人要知道主人要什麼?知道主人想要做什麼事情，僕人要查言觀色，不是什麼事都問過才做。

我們求的是求神的憐憫！因為萬有都屬於神的。

安逸的人和驕傲的人並稱，安逸的人愈驕傲，自以為是自己的能力達成的。我們常常禱告神類似強迫神為我們做事情，其實神為我們預備的是更好的。

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How?

Pray to the Lord and may the Lord have mercy on us, for I am weak and many contempt from the proud.

There stand the thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David

 Pslam 122:1-9

I rejoiced with those who said to me,  “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. That is where the tribes go up—the tribes of the Lord—to praise the name of the Lord according to the statute given to Israel. There stand the thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:  “May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” For the sake of my family and friends,  I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.

Why?

Peace is perfect, complete, healthy, judgments, prosper, and be protected. Only within the Lord and trust in the Lord has real peace.

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上行之詩：登台階時，以色列民四面八方來聖殿時吟唱。

v1-3 以快樂興奮的心情來聖殿。我們去教會是什麼樣的心情?

連絡整齊： 等同會幕頂的布縫合整齊，城牆是那麼完美、合一，所以眾支派也要合一。以色列的證據：合一，目的是去稱讚耶和華的名！

來到神面前，不再為自己求，單單的讚美神時，已經肯定神讓我們週到的事情，不再計較，競爭，不合的事自然煙消雲散。

合一帶來興旺和平安。耶路撒冷至今沒有平安，因為當中的人不和睦！我們常常會來到教會，埋怨沒有人理我，講道怎麼這樣……。少為自己求，多為別人需要與合一祈求！

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How?

Pray for real peace, peace comes from the Lord. There is real peace in the Lord and Jesus Christ.

My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth; Psalm 121:1-8

Psalm 121:1-8

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—  where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—  he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm—  he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Why?

Psalmist knows that the Lord is his helper, is his savior, is his shepherd, a man who has time and space limitations. but the Lord may bless us and save us at any time and any place.

How?

Praise the Lord with all my heart and my mind and my strength and all my life.