The Stage of Consecration


	Psalms 123-125: The Stage of Consecration Introduction Our Three-fold Vision Leads Us to a Three-fold Consecration To follow the Lord we must have a three-fold vision: a vision of the world, a vision of the Lord, and a vision of the church. We have seen these three visions in the first three Psalms of Ascent. Once our heart is clear about the world, the Lord, and the church life, we will be brought on to the next stage, the stage of consecration. This stage is pictured in the next three Psalms of Ascent. Psalms 123-125 show us a three-fold consecration based upon our three-fold vision. Firstly, because we see who the Lord is, we consecrate ourselves to the Lord Himself (Psalm 123). Secondly, because we realize the true nature of the world, we consecrate ourselves to be separated and apart from the world (Psalm 124). Thirdly, after we see the church, we consecrate ourselves to the Lord's trustworthiness (Psalm 125). We might think that the third consecration should be to the church life, but we will see that our response to a vision of the church is to consecrate ourselves to the Lord's trustworthiness. When the church life is clearly unveiled to us we realize that it is impossible for us to make it through. Therefore we give ourselves to the Lord's trustworthiness and faithfulness so that we would remain in the church life as His testimony. These three psalms show us how to "go up," how to ascend in our spiritual experience. We go up by a proper response to what the Lord has unveiled to us. When the Lord unveils who He is to us, we respond by saying, "Lord, I give myself to You." When the Lord unveils to us what the world is, then we say, "Lord, I want to be separated from the world." When the Lord unveils to us the marvelous church life, then we say, "Lord, I give myself to Your trustworthiness." The most difficult aspect of these three visions is the church life. No one can go through the church life, and there is no life more discouraging than the church life. However, when we come to Psalm 125 we will see that all the problems in the church life are not with others, but with ourselves. It is we ourselves who are the source of all the problems, so eventually all we can say is, "Lord, I give myself to Your trustworthiness." To purchase the book Journey of Life; the Psalms of Ascent and Song of Songs