Psalm 137

Psalms 137:5-6 (ESV)

[5] If I forget you, O Jerusalem,

let my right hand forget its skill!

[6] Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,

if I do not remember you,

if I do not set Jerusalem

above my highest joy!

 Psalm 137 is written in the context of Israel in exile. The song is a lament, “How can we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land?” (Ps. 137:4). While they cannot sing because of their grief over the destruction of Jerusalem and being carried off to Babylon, yet they will never forget Jerusalem. This makes me wonder about where our mental focus is. We are living in Babylon, a world that is not God-centered or even God-friendly. The World often claims to like Jesus, but it is a Jesus of their own making, not the Jesus of the Bible. While we live in this Babylon, we are called to be a blessing here, yet keep our hearts and minds are to be set “on things that are above” (Col. 3:1-4).

I wonder if we are able to say with the Psalmist, “If I forget you O Jerusalem [above], let my right hand forget its skill!” or “If I forget you, O Jerusalem [above] . . . let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth”? How heavenly minded are we in this Babylon in which we live? Can we sing and celebrate without any thought to “things above”? Do we go about our business, our work, our days off, our relationships and conversations without thought of things above? The Psalmist could not imagine life without Jerusalem in his thoughts. I fear we think too much of Babylon and too little on things above these days. Lord, teach us to love the things you love.