Where the Climb Starts

You have tried to explain what happened, and someone keeps repeating a version that is not true. Another conversation has ended badly. Before you work out the perfect reply, Psalm 120 gives you somewhere else to speak.

Psalms is a collection of prayers and songs in the Bible. This one opens a smaller group called the Songs of Ascents, Psalms 120 through 134. The title suggests going up, and these songs are commonly associated with worshippers travelling to Jerusalem. The psalm itself does not tell us the singer's name or describe a particular journey. Its clear starting point is distress.

1. Begin with what is happening

In my distress, I cried to the LORD. He answered me.

Psalm 120:1, World English Bible

The singer remembers calling to God and being heard. The next verse asks for rescue from lies. Prayer begins in the middle of a problem, without waiting for everyone involved to agree about it.

You can name a false accusation without making your prayer a polished speech. Tell God what was said, how it has affected you, and what help you need. Be equally honest about anything you contributed to the conflict. Asking for truth also means being willing to have your own account corrected.

Verses 3 and 4 use sharp arrows and burning coals when speaking about deceit. The language is severe. Harmful speech matters to God. These lines do not give the reader instructions to threaten another person or take revenge. They place the seriousness of wrongdoing before him.

2. Name the loneliness without inventing a story

In verse 5 the singer names Meshech and Kedar. The poem does not provide a travel diary or explain exactly how these place names relate to the singer's circumstances. We should be careful about turning the imagery into a detailed biography.

What the next lines make plain is enough: this person has lived too long among people who hate peace. The setting feels deeply unwelcome. If you have repeatedly been misrepresented, you may recognise the weariness in that complaint.

The prayer allows you to tell the truth about that weariness. It does not require you to pretend a hostile situation feels like home. Nor does it require you to decide that every person who disagrees with you is an enemy. Read the complaint closely before borrowing it for your own disagreement.

3. Keep choosing peace where you can

I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war.

Psalm 120:7, World English Bible

That is where this psalm ends. We are not told that the other people apologise or that the argument disappears. The singer's desire for peace remains important even when others do not share it.

Paul gives Christians a related instruction in Romans 12:18: live peaceably with others as far as it depends on you. His wording recognises a limit. You are responsible for your conduct, but you cannot control another person's response. Jesus calls peacemakers blessed in Matthew 5:9. Making peace is worthwhile even when it takes patience and does not receive praise.

Before your next reply, write down the one fact that needs correcting. Remove insults and guesses about motives. Decide whether a calm reply, a boundary, or help from a trustworthy person would serve peace best. In a threatening situation, seek help rather than staying alone to prove that you are peaceful.

The collection will continue to Psalm 134. This opening prayer has a smaller task: it helps a distressed person call to God and remain committed to peace before the conflict has ended.

Read and reflect: What can you truthfully ask God for today? Which part of making peace is yours to do, and which part belongs to someone else?

Source: Psalm 120 in the World English Bible. Quoted text is from this public-domain translation. This reflection was revised to distinguish the poem's words from assumptions about the singer's journey.