Psalm 125

1 Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever.
2 Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever.
3 The wicked will not rule the land of the godly, for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong.
4 O Lord, do good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with you.
5 But banish those who turn to crooked ways, O Lord. Take them away with those who do evil. May Israel have peace!

When I lived in Colorado Springs I could stand on my deck and admire Pike's Peak. That was 1985. I've moved on but Pike's Peak is still there. I know that, because Mali was in the Springs recently and she saw it. I imagine it will be there for many, many more years.

It's no "Mount Zion." but it is a formidable testament to durability and dependability. There is comfort in that kind of permanence. A house built on Pike's Peak could stand forever. In fact, if built on the proper side, the mountain will even protect that house from the weather. If I was not the neighborly kind, Pike's Peak will even protect me from intruders...because access to mountain homes is very limited.

So...when our Psalmist uses a mountain as a metaphor for the security we have in our faith...that metaphor will stand the test of time. Just like the mountain. "Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion!"

That line was written over 3,000 years ago and the mountain is still there. I'll bet we cannot name a single "wicked ruler" from David's time that is still carrying on today. Sure...there are a few wicked rulers around today...new ones...but they will go the way of those who came before them.

And of course...we will go the way of the faithful who came before us. Only the mountain stands.

I'm not one bit afraid of Nebuchadnezzar, or Nero, or Ghengis Khan, or Stalin, or Ahmadinejad, or any other bush league bully...alive or dead...because the mountain upon which I stand is firm and everlasting.

Live boldly out there today.