Psalm 137

Here we have a Psalm of lament as the exiles in Babylon remember Jerusalem, the circumstances around its fall and the hope they have to always recall it. We can certainly appreciate the honesty of the Psalms as the full range of human emotion is expressed in them. The exile was not supposed to be pleasant. It was the final stage of discipline for Judah. It is unfortunate that it is often when we suffer hardship when we recognize all the things we had that were good under God’s favor. And yet the Psalmist also calls on God to remember and most likely punish those that caused and were happy about Israel’s demise.

But it is also fitting here to recognize that there is always a reason to praise and thank God regardless of the situation we are in. We don’t need to deny our human emotion, but recognize in the presence of them the reasons why we can be thankful in all circumstances…..because God is always good and is always with us…