Five Final Songs of Ascent

The hillside must have echoed as the ancient Israelites, together in unity and in perfect harmony, sang fifteen songs of praise and thanksgiving to God, during their ascent to the holy city of Jerusalem.

And with one goal in mind, they sang; despite the weary of every strenuous stride, they sang with one goal in mind; despite the discomfort of every laboured breath, they sang with one goal in mind; despite the pain of every aching muscle, they sang with one goal in mind – to be in the presence of God in His Temple.

We too are ascending toward the eternal Temple to be in the presence of God!

Let’s briefly look at the five final Songs of Ascent…

Psalm 130, is a gut-wrenching cry of repentance: Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord (v 1). Be confident in the redemptive power of God. Be confident that God listens. Be confident that God forgives and wipes the slate of your sin clean forever. Be confident that the pain of the past will not dominate your future. Be confident that no matter how great your sin, God’s grace is greater still!

 Psalm 131, is a deeply meditative reflection on humility: My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; (v 1). It demonstrates the trust, contentment, dependence and hope that you should have in God to provide, free from a position of prideful arrogance.

Psalm 132, is a song that recalls God’s promises, David’s dedication and the faithfulness of both: he swore to the Lord and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob; The Lord swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back (v 2, 11). Cling to God’s promises, knowing that He is faithful, and trusting that He will fulfil His word in your life.

Psalm 133, celebrates genuine unity between God’s people: Oh, how wonderful, how pleasing it is when God’s people all come together as one (v 1). True unity, camaraderie and harmony among God’s people results in the flow of great blessings, as a whole and as individuals. Genuine togetherness fuelled by love for God and each other, in the community of faith, is vital.

Psalm 134, the final song of the Songs of Ascent, is a song of praise to God: Lift your hands toward the Temple, and praise the Lord. (v 2). Having finally arrived at the Temple after a long and arduous uphill journey, the pilgrims, elated to be in His presence, worship God: Praise the Lord, all his servants who serve in the Temple at night. (v 1). As your journey continues, through the highs and the lows, remember to praise the Lord no matter what happens (ref. Psalm 34:1).

Beloved, your spiritual journey is a reflection of the walk of a pilgrim in the days of old. Every one of the songs in the Songs of Ascent collection, recounts what each pilgrim would have experienced along the way to the holy city high in the hills of Judea.

The journey was filled with challenges, trials, fears, triumphs, hopes and joys as they drew closer to God but no matter what, they persevered. So, let these same songs encourage and inspire you on your journey, just as they were.

Use these cherished Songs of Ascent as your prayers and your songs as you travel this spiritual road of faith, trusting God as the ancient Israelites did, to guide you and sustain you.

And, never forget that God is for you and with you always! He is not distant even when it feels that way, for He promises that He will never fail you, nor will He ever abandon you (ref. Hebrews 13:5).

Rest assured that God’s presence makes every step of your spiritual journey worthwhile.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Five Final Songs of Ascent” © 2026 August 21, 2026

 

 

 

Five More Songs of Ascent

 

As the people of God made the arduous climb to Jerusalem for worship, the songs they would sing in praise and thanksgiving to God, were a source of comfort and encouragement.  

These ancient songs spoke directly to the hearts of the people then, and still speak to our hearts today. With every step along this spiritual journey, these beautifully written psalms, through all the changing scenes of life, in trouble and in joy, the praises of my God shall still my heart and tongue employ (hymn lyrics by Nahum Tate and Nicholas Brady).

Let’s briefly look at five more Songs of Ascent…

Psalm 125, assures that those who trust in God remain firmly secure in Him: Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever. (v 2). Stability, security, and victory are promised to those whose trust and faith are rooted in God.

 Psalm 126, celebrates God’s restoration: Restore our fortunes, Lord (v 4). God promises that as you walk in faith, He will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.

Psalm 127, lets us know that all our efforts are pointless without God: If the Lord does not build the house, the work of the builders is useless; (v 1). Depend on God’s provision and guidance in every area of your life, no matter what you’re building. God is the true Builder!

Psalm 128, highlights the benefits of living life in reverence to God: Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! (v 1). Living in reverential fear of God and obedience to Him, greatly impacts your life in unexpected and positive ways.

Psalm 129, assures that even in seasons of trial, God is with you: the Lord does what is right; he cut the ropes and set me free from those wicked people. (v 4) God empowers you to endure every challenge and promises that you will not be defeated.

Beloved, remember that God is for you and with you always! He is not distant even when it feels that way, for He promises that He will never fail you, nor will He ever abandon you (ref. Hebrews 13:5).

Know that God’s presence makes every step of your spiritual journey worthwhile.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Five More Songs of Ascent” © 2026 August 20, 2026

 

 

 

Five Songs of Ascent

 

Perched on a hilltop, Jerusalem was the centre of worship for those on pilgrimage. God’s people would travel from every part of the country to make the trek to the holy city, singing songs in praise and thanksgiving to God.

Amid painful trials and challenges, these songs encouraged the pilgrims of old to persevere and gave them renewed hope as they endured hardship.

These ancient songs that they sang through their struggles and wearisome uphill journey are called Songs of Ascent and fortunately for us, we have access to those same songs, a collection of fifteen Psalms, from 120 to 134, to encourage us, comfort us, renew our hope and fill us with joy.

Providing spiritual refreshing, these timeless songs still minister to God’s people as we cry out to Him.

Let’s briefly look at the first five Songs of Ascent…

Psalm 120, the first of this special group, is a cry for deliverance: Rescue me, O Lord (v 2). This is the song that begins and sets the tone for the journey.

 Psalm 121, familiar to most, focuses on God’s preservation: The Lord himself watches over you! (v 5). As you face what seems insurmountable, be assured that God is not only with you on your journey but is actively involved in it; His preservation, protection and care do not waver.

Psalm 122, is a heartfelt prayer for peace: Pray for peace (v 6). God’s presence brings peace in the midst of chaos.

Psalm 123, encourages us to keep our eyes fixed on God: keep looking to the Lord our God (v 2). Be patient and trust God’s timing; wait, He is never late.

Psalm 124, celebrates our partnership with God: What if the Lord had not been on our side? (v 1) Remember, God is for you and with you always!

Beloved, God is not distant even when it feels that way, for He promises that He will never fail you, nor will He ever abandon you (ref. Hebrews 13:5). Know that His presence makes every step of your spiritual journey worthwhile.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Five Songs of Ascent” © 2026 August 19, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Whose image and inscription is this?”

 

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. – Genesis 1:26 (ESV)

God created us human beings in His image and after His likeness; but how many of us reflect His image and express His nature? The truth is, we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). But even more than that, we humans have perpetually created God in our own image and our own likeness. We have made God a reflection of ourselves.

Jesus said to those sent to entrap Him, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” (Matthew 22:21 NLT) but we give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and we give to God what belongs to Caesar when we redefine His image and likeness.

At the Palace of Versailles in Versailles France, there is a long room with a mirror-covered wall from ceiling to floor on one side. It is an incredibly overwhelming sight that assaulted my eyes and scandalously impressive with all its gilded ornamentation, artistic renderings on the ceiling, marble columns, chandeliers and golden statues.

This one room is regarded as an architectural masterpiece, while the entire palace was once considered a symbol of absolute power.

The mirrors reflect the view of a well-watered, cared-for garden which can be seen through large arched windows that stand directly opposite the mirrored wall.

The palace, along with its well-watered, cared-for garden at Versailles are of human creation. God’s Word tells us that you will be like a well-watered garden (Isaiah 58:11), however, this promise carries certain stipulations which you can read for yourself in chapter 58. You and I, as well-watered gardens, are not of our own creation or invention, we are God-stamped, it is he who made us, and we are his (Psalm 100:3 NIV) – we belong to God.

Sadly, we have constructed our own hall with mirrors that reflect, not a well-watered garden but an image of God that has been distorted by our own misguided beliefs, biases, prejudices, excuses, ideas of justice, skewed religious morals and limitations.

We create a false image of God with a likeness that suits our fancy; a god that never takes us out of our comfort zones, a god who approves of all our preferences, a god who is perfectly aligned to us.

We, meaning Christians, have taken the infinite, transcendent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, the Alpha and the Omega Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty Creator of the universe and reduced Him to our human level of existence.

“Whose image and inscription is this?” 

In our arrogance, we who claim to be godly followers of the Word, do not know the God of the Bible. We have become religious narcissists who compromise rather than stand firm, choosing to conform rather than transform and in our failure to embrace the full reality of the God of Scripture, we offer to others an image of God who is inscribed with human characteristics.

 Beloved, we have become adept at anthropomorphism; humans crafting God after their own image and nature is not new, for Isaiah responding to a people who had replaced God with idols made in their own image said to them then and us today,

How foolish can you be? He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay! Should the created thing say of the one who made it, “He didn’t make me”?
Does a jar ever say, “The potter who made me is stupid”? (Isaiah 25:16 NLT)

We condemn these ancient people for creating idols of worship, yet in our modern day, when we engage in creating God in our image, we are doing exactly what they did by redefining God into a deity we seek to control and manage, a god who will conform to our way.

They did not have Jesus as we do, so even if we say that they were at a disadvantage, certainly in this day and age, we are not, a fact that Philip learned when he said to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” To which Jesus responded, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. (John 14:8-9 NIV).

When you take a hard look at Jesus, who do you see? You must honestly answer the question, “Whose image and inscription is this?”.

By our creating God in our own image and likeness, we find ourselves at the foot of Mt. Sinai, worshipping a god crafted by our own human hands.

It’s time for us to open our bibles and get to know the God of Scripture in all His glory.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Whose image and inscription is this?” © 2026 August 18, 2026

 

 

 

 

The function of yeast

Throughout the Word, yeast is mostly symbolic of corruption, evil and sin, however, Jesus portrays yeast in a different light in an effort to get His audience to understand what the Kingdom of God is like. Jesus asked them,

“How can I picture God’s kingdom for you? What kind of story can I use?” – Luke 13:18 (MSG)

First, Jesus uses the tiny mustard seed as an example but then, perhaps to drive home His point, Jesus goes on to give another example. He says,

“What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” – Luke 13:20-21 (MSG)

Let’s take a little bite of this parable, like a morsel of bread to chew on.

Luke was very careful in recording Jesus’ words. He was careful in letting us know that Jesus included specific elements in His parable – yeast, a woman preparing dough, and the exact measurement of flour.

The Greek word for yeast in the verse above is “zume” which is sourdough starter and not the packets of cultured yeast we buy in the supermarket.

Creating sourdough starter is a process that Jesus’ first century audience would have understood.

Even today, anyone who has ever made starter should know that all that’s required is flour, water, yeast and time for it to ferment. To initiate the fermentation process, the mixture, in a covered bowl, is put in a warm, dark, breezeless place, such as an oven.

The yeast, a living fungus that feeds on sugar and starch, is the active agent in breadmaking; the dough will never rise without the yeast.

In this translation, Jesus describes a woman mixing sourdough starter into flour to make dough, but the Greek term here translated “mixed” is “en krypto”, which comes from the root verb “to hide” or “to conceal”. So, the woman in the parable, hiding or concealing something rather than merely mixing places a whole different spin on how this parable is viewed, especially as Luke 8:17 (NIV) records Jesus saying,

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.

Whatever this woman is hiding, will be revealed, for what is hidden will come to light and although her apparent secrecy may be seen as a “bad” thing, in reference to the Kingdom of God, it is bound to lead to something wonderful.

Sixty pounds of flour is a lot of flour. This woman must have had a bakery because five pounds of flour yields many loaves of bread and she used twelve times that amount.

That amount of dough would be far too much for this one woman to knead and its yield way more than she, alone, could ever consume, so this is definitely not a lesson in domesticity.

This conjures up an image of abundance, doesn’t it? But there is something else, it’s a picture of a small beginning yielding a tremendous result. Jesus tells us what the Kingdom of God is like, using the story of a woman who is about to make more bread than a single person could ever eat.

Is Jesus saying therefore that the Kingdom of God is not only more than enough for everyone to partake of but like the function of yeast, it remains hidden while it works its way through our lives? And even though its not outwardly visible as it quietly spreads, it gives rise to and yields changes in us that are much greater and more palatable than we ever could imagine?

Beloved, the Kingdom of God is present now and available to all, “whosoever will” (ref. Revelation 22:17). Shall you not eat? After all, Jesus Himself proclaimed, “I am the Bread of Life. No one coming to me will ever be hungry again.” (John 6:35 TLB).

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “The function of yeast” © 2026 August 17, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your kingdom come...

 

Matthew 4:17 (NRSVUE)

From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Matthew 5:3 (NRSVUE)

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 6:10 (NABRE)

your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.

Mark 10:24 (NABRE)

The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!”

Luke 17:21 (TLB)

You won’t be able to say, ‘It has begun here in this place or there in that part of the country.’ For the Kingdom of God is within you.

John 18:36 (TLB)

Then Jesus answered, “I am not an earthly king. If I were, my followers would have fought when I was arrested by the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of the world.”

Romans 14:17 (NABRE)

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Spirit;

1 Thessalonians 2:12 (ESV)

we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

Beloved,

Your kingdom come...immediately leads you toward the divine rather than any inclination toward human action.

Your Kingdom come...establishes that the divine purpose, to be executed on earth is present now in heaven.

Your Kingdom come...draws us into intimate communion with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Your Kingdom come...is to experience the fullness of God in every area of your life.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Your Kingdom come...” © 2026 August 10, 2026

Crazy for God

 

As some of you may know because I have mentioned it before, when I got serious about my spiritual journey, my own mother thought I’d gone crazy. There were things that God led me to do that appeared illogical to any onlooker, but God is always confounding the wise and, on this journey, He will have you do some crazy things.

People have been crazy for God for a very long time, take Noah for instance; imagine building a gigantic boat for years, proclaiming that a flood is coming and it has never even rained. What’s a flood?

The Israelites marched around Jericho seven times – six times in complete silence, once every time and on the seventh time, seven times, making an incredibly loud commotion with trumpets blaring and the people shouting. What madness is that?

God tells Hosea, the prophet, to “Marry a prostitute and have children with that prostitute.” (Hosea 1:2 GW). Hello…isn’t that crazy?

And there are many more stories like that throughout the bible, where God has given people some insane instructions. You think they didn’t look like crazy people? But they carried out God’s instructions anyway.

Beloved, all this is to encourage you to act even when you think that what God has asked you to do or say is going to make you look or sound completely bonkers.

Know that persons may get offended, but the fact is, not everyone is going to get it and that’s okay; you need to do what you know you’re being led to do by God, even if it seems crazy and you’re labelled insane or un-Christian.

I would choose looking crazy for God, way above looking sane for man and you should too.

Remember, God and His purpose must always come first.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Crazy for God” © 2026 August 10, 2026