579_The security of those who trust in the Lord (Psalm 125)
Psalm 125 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people,
from this time forth and forevermore.
3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
on the land allotted to the righteous,
lest the righteous stretch out
their hands to do wrong.
4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
and to those who are upright in their hearts!
5 But those who turn aside to their crooked ways
the Lord will lead away with evildoers!
Peace be upon Israel!
Several years ago, a man from a coastal town told the story of surviving a violent storm at sea. He had been on a small fishing boat with two others when the sky darkened far sooner than expected. The wind rose with a howl, the waves mounted like walls, and the boat trembled as though it were made of paper. Panic swept over them. Their radio had stopped working, the shoreline had vanished from sight, and they were at the mercy of forces far beyond their strength. But the man remembered something curious: even while everything around them raged, there was a massive rock formation that rose above the water not far from where they drifted. When they managed to steer close enough, they anchored on the sheltered side of that unmovable cliff. “The sea was roaring,” he said, “but the rock never moved. And because it didn’t move, we survived.”
It is a simple picture, yet powerful in its clarity: when everything around us trembles, we instinctively look for something—anything—that will not shake. Something stable enough to trust. Something strong enough to hold. Something steady enough to quiet our fears. And this longing for stability is what lies at the heart of Psalm 125, a psalm sung by pilgrims ascending the winding paths toward Jerusalem. As they walked closer to the holy city, they saw hills rising on every side—a natural fortress, a reminder of protection, permanence, and peace. In that moment, the psalmist’s mind turns toward a deeper reality: “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever.”
It is not accidental that the psalm begins with a metaphor of a mountain. Mountains do not sway with the winds or collapse with every passing storm. They are symbols of permanence in a world of constant instability. But not everyone chooses to anchor themselves to God. Scripture repeatedly shows that people often seek security in places that cannot truly hold them.
Some trust in riches. Proverbs warns us plainly: “He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage.” Jesus reinforces this in words that are both sobering and tender: “How hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!” Riches promise security, but those promises are fragile. Markets shift, fortunes evaporate, banks collapse, and what once felt firm can crumble overnight. When we place our confidence in wealth, we build our foundation on sand.
Others place their trust in human strength or human influence. “Do not put your trust in princes,” the psalmist warns. Human leadership, however capable, is limited. Our lives can change in a moment. Even the strongest among us return to the dust, and “in that very day their plans perish.” Jeremiah intensifies this warning: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man… he shall be like a shrub in the desert.” When we depend solely on people, we soon discover the limits of human reliability. People fail. People forget. People fall short. And even at their best, they cannot provide any security.
Still others trust in power or military might. Isaiah rebukes those who “go down to Egypt for help” because they rely on chariots and strength rather than on the Holy One of Israel. Psalm 20 reminds us, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” Power can defend but cannot redeem. Strength can protect but cannot preserve the soul. Armies rise and fall, kingdoms expand and collapse—but none of these can save.
To truly trust in God, we must relinquish our misplaced trust in all these other things. Psalm 112 declares that the righteous “will never be shaken… his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.” Psalm 16 echoes this confidence: “Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” And Psalm 62 affirms, “He only is my rock and my salvation; I shall not be moved.” The emphasis is not merely on trust but exclusive trust. God alone is the source of true and lasting security.
In contrast, Scripture repeatedly describes the wicked—or those whose trust is placed anywhere else—as unstable, restless, and fleeting. They are “like chaff that the wind drives away,” like a sea that tosses without rest, like withering grass, like brittle dross, like thorns fit only for burning. These images all point to a life without anchor, without weight, without permanence. The world and everything in it is passing away, says John, but “whoever does the will of God abides forever.” In contrast, those who trust in the Lord are compared not to something fragile or fleeting but to a mountain—a picture of strength, stability, and endurance.
This brings us back to the heart of Psalm 125. The psalmist continues, “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people, from this time forth and forevermore.” The pilgrims looking at those hills would feel the connection instantly. Just as the mountains shielded the city, God shields His own. His protection is not distant but near. Not momentary but continual. Not fragile but eternal.
The Scriptures elsewhere give us similar promises. Psalm 34 says, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them.” Zechariah records God saying, “I will be a wall of fire around her.” Psalm 32 reminds us that God is our hiding place who surrounds us “with songs of deliverance.” And the story of Elijah’s servant reminds us that even when we feel surrounded by enemies, God’s armies surround those enemies. His protection is invisible at times but never absent.
The psalm goes on to emphasize that God will not allow the scepter of the wicked to rest upon the land allotted to the righteous. God knows that prolonged oppression can tempt even His own children to turn astray. Yet history shows that Israel often shifted its trust away from God—toward idols, alliances, military strength, or foreign powers—and the result was bondage to pagan kings. Their story is a reminder that the promise of God’s protection is intimately tied to the posture of our trust.
The psalmist ends with a prayer and a sober warning: “Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart. But those who turn aside to their crooked ways the Lord will lead away with evildoers.” Standing in Jerusalem—a city whose very name means “foundation of peace”—the psalmist prays for Israel’s peace. How fitting this is for our own time. We live in an age where peace is spoken of often but rarely experienced. The world longs for it, negotiates for it, campaigns for it, but cannot produce it. Scripture is clear about the reason: lasting peace is impossible until we are at peace with God. Through Christ, the Prince of Peace, we can be reconciled to God, and only then can we experience the peace that surpasses understanding.
Those who trust in the Lord are the most secure people in the world. They are not shaken by market fluctuations, global uncertainties, political upheavals, or headlines that keep others awake at night. Scripture says, “He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast.” They can rejoice even when circumstances are difficult, because their confidence rests not in what changes but in the One who never changes. His promises are always “yes” and “amen.” His character is constant. His faithfulness endures.
So as we reflect on Psalm 125, the message is simple yet deeply comforting: Anchor your life in the Lord. Let Him be your mountain. Let Him be your shelter. Let Him be your wall of fire, your hiding place, your stability when the world trembles. And even when you do not fully understand what God is doing, lean on Him rather than shifting your trust elsewhere. The storms of life will come, but the One who surrounds His people is unmovable.
And like the fisherman who survived because he anchored himself beside the immovable rock, we too will endure—not because we are strong, but because the One we trust in is.
May we choose, daily and deliberately, to place our whole confidence in the Lord who surrounds His people both now and forevermore. Peace be upon all who trust in Him.