PSALM 87

1 A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song. His foundation [is] in the holy mountains. 2 The LORD loves the gates of Zion More than all the dwellings of Jacob. 3 Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God! Selah 4 “I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to those who know Me; Behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia: ‘This [one] was born there.’ ” 5 And of Zion it will be said, “This [one] and that [one] were born in her; And the Most High Himself shall establish her.” 6 The LORD will record, When He registers the peoples: “This [one] was born there.” Selah 7 Both the singers and the players on instruments [say], “All my springs [are] in you.”

PSALM 87:1-7

ALL MY SPRINGS ARE IN YOU

We went tent camping with my parents when I was a child. I remember one specific trip the most. It seems like we found the most ideal camping spot. It was right by an ice cold stream fed by mountain springs and melting glaciers. The water was crystal clear and the bubbling of the water was calming. The water was so pure and near the source that you could drink it. My siblings and I jumped in and played in it even though it was ice cold (it was a 90 degree Montana summer).

The beauty of a spring is that it brings life to everything near it. It waters the landscape and gives vegetation an opportunity to thrive. It brings cool refreshing water to those who come and drink from it’s pool. And, if a spring is big enough, it does more than water those that are close. It turns into a stream and wanders down the landscape to water those far from it’s initial offering. It sends water cascading down the hill side in a waterfall to those below.

This is the picture we have of the influence of the city of God (Jerusalem) in this Psalm. The blessings that God has poured out on Jerusalem cascade down and bless those beyond the gates of the city. People form every tongue tribe and language are and will be ultimately blessed by the spring of living water that bubbled up out of Jerusalem. People from Rahab (not the woman from the book of Joshua, but a place in Egypt), Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia. Some of these places we remember as enemies of God’s people now coming in and being blessed by the LORD they had opposed.

We remember that we serve a God who turns enemies into friends and welcomes home sinners as saints through the precious blood of Jesus.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8

“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,” – Matthew 5:44

How great it is that we can be born again into a new life in Christ! Should heaven keep the birth certificates of the born again it won’t list any location other than Jerusalem, because that is where Jesus Christ the lamb of God laid down his life for my sins and three days later rose from the dead! That is where the details of my new birth were accomplished. I’ll be a citizen of that great country by the work of God.

PRAYER

Father, How great is your grace that cascades and flows down to others? How do you take so many in who have been your enemies? How do you love us even when we are unlovable? I don’t know how, I just know that you do! I am so grateful that I have been born again to a new life in Jesus Christ! I am grateful that you have called me to be an ambassador of reconciliation to others in the name of Jesus! I am grateful for the opportunities you have put in my path today to tell others of you! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.