Psalm 121: My Help Comes from the Lord

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by: Denise Robinson

09/04/2020

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Today's psalm is one of my favorites, if not my favorite (and that's saying a lot with Ps. 23, 42, 46, 51 and 91 in the running). It is a psalm of trust and confidence in God, offering a quiet assurance in God's presence and protection. These words are from the NRSV, but if you have a few extra minutes either grab your old King James Version of the Bible or check it out online; this psalm reads beautifully in Shakespearean English if you enjoy the language.


I lift up my eyes to the hills - from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.  (Ps. 121)

This psalmist first remembers that God created the heavens and the earth; in those words we celebrate God's awesome power over all creation. But then, in the words that follow, God is our keeper, our shade at our right hand; in those words we celebrate that God is close to us, caring for us and protecting us. As another wonderful psalm, Ps. 8, says: "What are human beings that you are mindful of them, that you care for them?" We don't exactly have hills in Indianapolis, but I encourage you to spend a few minutes today lifting up your eyes and reflecting on God's presence in your life. 

Prayer: God, thank you that you are not just a God of power, but a God of presence. Thank you for your promise to keep my life for now and forevermore. While this life will have its ups and downs, times of happiness and times of sadness, you are with me always and through you I find strength. Thank you that your promise of love and protection are not just for a day or a season, but for an eternity. Amen.
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Today's psalm is one of my favorites, if not my favorite (and that's saying a lot with Ps. 23, 42, 46, 51 and 91 in the running). It is a psalm of trust and confidence in God, offering a quiet assurance in God's presence and protection. These words are from the NRSV, but if you have a few extra minutes either grab your old King James Version of the Bible or check it out online; this psalm reads beautifully in Shakespearean English if you enjoy the language.


I lift up my eyes to the hills - from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.  (Ps. 121)

This psalmist first remembers that God created the heavens and the earth; in those words we celebrate God's awesome power over all creation. But then, in the words that follow, God is our keeper, our shade at our right hand; in those words we celebrate that God is close to us, caring for us and protecting us. As another wonderful psalm, Ps. 8, says: "What are human beings that you are mindful of them, that you care for them?" We don't exactly have hills in Indianapolis, but I encourage you to spend a few minutes today lifting up your eyes and reflecting on God's presence in your life. 

Prayer: God, thank you that you are not just a God of power, but a God of presence. Thank you for your promise to keep my life for now and forevermore. While this life will have its ups and downs, times of happiness and times of sadness, you are with me always and through you I find strength. Thank you that your promise of love and protection are not just for a day or a season, but for an eternity. Amen.
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