Day 78 | Sydney Buchanan

  This Psalm is titled, in The Voice translation, “a song for those journeying to worship.” In other translations it is titled “A song of ascents.” It is thought to have been a song, sung by worshippers pilgrimaging to encounter God.This Psalm expresses the determination David lead in his life, to meet and encounter God. To David, closeness with God was priority. I am imagining as the worshippers journeyed, they sang of the legacy they were trying to live up to; A legacy of closeness, endurance and perseverance.

3He said, “I will not go inside my house or lie down in my bed; 4 I will not even rest my eyes— I will not take comfort in sleep— 5 Until I find a dwelling place for You, the Eternal, a holy residence dedicated to the Mighty One of Jacob.”

David’s legacy lead the way for Jesus.

17 “From there I will make the strength of David’s kingdom grow and prepare a lamp for My anointed one.

The art piece I thought of while I was meditating on this psalm was The Allegory of Law and Grace by Lucas Cranach the elder.Cranach was an artist for the Lutheran reformation in the 16th century. This painting was created in reaction to the corruption that Martin Luther believed was in the Catholic Church. On the left side of the painting we see Christ far above humanity, casting judgment and condemnation. This is supposed to represent the danger of the Law without the grace of the gospel, and the danger of believing you find salvation through anything but Jesus. Then in contrast to the left side, on the right we see Jesus. Jesus is near to humanity. We see Christ on the cross and resurrected in front of his tomb. Victorious. This woodcut reminds me that Jesus closed the distance between us and God, Jesus changed everything. We no longer have to journey up mountains to encounter God because God is in us and through us. And this is all because of Jesus. That is the allegory of grace.So with this beautiful story of grace, there is a new challenge. It may not be the challenge of climbing a mountain, and it may not be the challenge of living according to the Law, but the challenge now is to lean into Grace and to live a life that invites grace to take control. We can still follow in David’s legacy of determination; determination to live in love, and grace, and renewal. We have to remind ourselves to always strive for the Lord’s grace to have a home in our hearts and in our lives. Because of the resurrection, we not only join the march of righteousness; we join the pull of Grace.