A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene H. Peterson
Week 6: Chapter 5 — Perseverance (Psalm 124)
Read Chapter 5 of A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. Primary text: Psalm 124.
Previewing Week 6 of A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
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Psalm 124 is a testimony — a community looking back and saying, "We could have been destroyed, but we weren't," and finding in that history reason to trust for the journey ahead.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Psalm 124 opens with a dramatic conditional: "If the Lord had not been on our side..." Peterson calls this a rehearsal of near-disaster — the deliberate practice of remembering how close things came to catastrophe. Why do you think rehearsing near-disasters is spiritually important rather than just anxious?
2.The psalm uses vivid imagery of flood, torrents, and snares — overwhelming forces that nearly swallowed the people. Peterson takes these images seriously as descriptions of the real dangers the pilgrim faces. What are the floods and snares in your life that have felt genuinely overwhelming?
3.Peterson emphasizes that perseverance is not simply gritting your teeth and enduring — it is rooted in the memory of God's past faithfulness. "Our help is in the name of the Lord." How does looking backward (at what God has done) give you fuel to look forward (at what he will do)?