Psalm 120

My name is Adeng Maluil. I have personally been attending Fellowship Dallas for just over a year and, after marrying my husband Aleer, have enjoyed the last 11 months alongside him at Fellowship. I am actively involved in a young adult women’s small group and MomCo; I also enjoy helping host communion on Sunday mornings. My devotional is over Psalm 120.

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“In my distress, I called to the Lord, and he answered me. Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue. What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue? A warrior’s sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree!” (v.1-4 ESV)

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In Psalm 120, I hear the cry of a heart longing for deliverance, and in that cry, I see Christ. Jesus understands distress, falsehood, and the tension of living in a broken world because He entered into it Himself. The psalmist’s plea for rescue points me to Jesus, our true Deliverer. Where sin is both around me and within me creates distance from God, Christ bridges that gap. He is the One who hears when I cry out and responds not with condemnation, but with mercy. This passage reminds me that conviction can be painful, especially when I become aware that my words, thoughts, or actions have disappointed the Lord. Yet that discomfort is not meant to push me away from God. It is an invitation to return. Conviction reveals where my heart has drifted so that communion can be restored. Knowing that God delights in showing mercy changes how I approach repentance; it becomes an act of worship rather than shame. I am moved to worship Jesus not because I am perfect, but because He meets my weakness with grace.

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Psalm 120 invites us to pause and reflect on how we respond when conviction arises in our own lives. Instead of resisting it or allowing it to produce shame, we are encouraged to see conviction as an act of God’s love. This passage reminds us that repentance is not about perfection, but about returning again and again to a Father who desires closeness with His children. As we embrace repentance as a daily practice, our hearts become softer, more honest, and more attentive to the Spirit’s leading. In this posture, we learn to walk in greater humility, pursue peace, and extend grace to others. When we allow God to restore us, our lives become living testimonies of His mercy, blessing those around us and bringing honor to His name.