“If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.” Psalm 137:5-6 NIV
This verse stood out to me because it reminded me that we ought not to only praise God in the good times, but also in the hard times. If God is constant and never changing, then what He represents never changes either. Even during their hardship, whether this Psalm was written after the return from exile or years into it, the Israelites understood what God represented: a covenant, the Temple, atonement, forgiveness, reconciliation, and redemption.
It is who our God is and what He represents that makes Him worthy of our praise. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that it was Christ’s knowledge of the joy awaiting Him that He endured the cross. Knowing this, may our actions be a result from the joy that we have placed on that same throne and Kingdom that awaits for us.
Lock Your Wings 
This stood out for me: “But how can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a pagan land?”
Psalms 137:4 NLT
While I get the sentiment behind this verse (the desire to return to Jerusalem and rebuild what was lost) I can’t help but think the verse suggests God cannot be praised in a land of unbelievers. If this was true, why would missionaries travel to “pagan” lands? why would scripture say to go forth and preach the good news to the ends of the earth? Shouldn’t we be praise filled in ALL circumstances knowing that God will work things out for our good?
There’s a quote that says “when God closes a door, praise him the hallway”. May we never neglect to praise God when we are in difficult circumstances.
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