Psalms 125-130 from my new book:

A NEW LOOK AT THE OLD PSALMS

Praying the Psalms: a modern interpretation

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I present here a new perspective on the psalms. I have rewritten them from a New 
Testament Christ-centered point of view. I did not try to capture the poetry of the 
psalms – I leave that to more gifted writers – but I attempted to capture their message
with a more modern interpretation.

God bless,

John

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Psalm 125

G

od’s people and his Church are firmly established. His Church, like Mount Zion, is unshakeable. His people, likewise, are unwavering in their belief that he will save them. Just as Mount Zion surrounds the city of Jerusalem, his Church envelopes his people in its protective arms now and forever.  The Lord will not allow his people to be overcome by the ungodly, for they would eventually corrupt his faithful. Lord, do good to the righteous, but drive away the wicked. Place them with the other lost souls who are traveling on the road to perdition. Give peace to your people, Lord.

Psalm 126

W

hen the Lord delivered us from the enemy, we were so happy. Nonbelievers heard our words of excitement and were amazed at what the Lord had done for us. Indeed, he freed us from the enemy’s snares, and our sorrow became great joy. Now, Lord, help us to focus on the road ahead and keep up the good fight. Help us to grow in faith, just as desert rains bring sudden growth to what was dry and barren. The road will be difficult to travel at times, but with your help we will reach our final destination: heaven.

Psalm 127

W

ithout God’s help, Christ’s Church could never achieve universal appeal. As Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 (NLT) Lacking the Lord’s guidance and protection, the Church and all its faithful would not be able to ward off the enemy. Its future would be bleak indeed. Unless we trust in God, our efforts will yield limited results.

Yet the Lord pours blessings on those who hope in him. Even our children are a gift from God, for he gives them to us to protect and support the family. They will also ensure that the bloodline of his faithful will continue into perpetuity. Parents without resource or who are weak in health will be particularly grateful that they have children to assist them financially in their old age and defend them against unjust treatment.⁶⁴

Psalm 128

B

lessed are you who take the high road to heaven. Your efforts will be rewarded, and God will look favorably upon you. He will take your spouse and children under his sheltering wings. He truly has a soft spot in his heart for those who revere him. May the Lord bless you and protect you; may he look with favor upon you and be gracious to you; and may he give you peace by providing all that you need to live life abundantly. Amen. 

Psalm 129

S

ince I was young, evil has sought to capture my soul, but I was not overcome. The devil never tired of scheming in secret to drive me off the road, but the Lord foiled his plans at every turn. Let those who hate God’s people be disgraced and sent packing. Let them be like grass that withers in the noonday sun, or that the reaper refuses to gather into sheaves. May no one wish them well or lift a finger to help them.

Psalm 130

F

rom the depths of despair, I beg you, Lord, to hear me. Let my humble prayer not fall upon deaf ears. Lord, if you held us accountable for every sin we committed, who could survive even for a second standing before you? But you are so forgiving. That is why I have waited so patiently, from morning to night, in hope of your absolution. May all God’s children never lose hope in the Lord, for he is merciful and eager to forgive. Indeed, he forgave all of us when he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, who died not just for my sins, but for the sins of all his Church. Amen.⁶⁵

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Cover image: Christ the Saviour (Pantokrator)." Web. 25 Sept 2016.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spas_vsederzhitel_sinay.jpg
"Creative Commons License." Web. 18 May 2016.
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⁶⁴John Brook, The School of Prayer. (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1992), 353-355.

⁶⁵Ibid., p. 378-379

This book and other books I have written are posted for your reading pleasure at Booksie.

Scriptural quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 

copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois
60189. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2016 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material must 

be done in its entirety with the copyright notice intact. This book is not for sale, but is 

offered to the public free of charge for the glory of God.