For the remainder of this month, we will be doing a short series on Beautiful Psalms. We’ll share some of our favorites with you and how God has used them to teach or encourage us over the years. In today’s post, we remember that Psalm 121 reminds us of God’s love and watchful care. We pray you’ll be blessed by this series.
Growing up, one of my favorite movies was The Sound of Music. From the time I was a very little girl, I was intrigued by the storyline and loved the fun, lively songs. While the reason for Maria’s dilemma about whether to stay with the Von Trapp family or head back to the abbey where she’d been raised was over my head, I found myself drawn in when she (in desperation) discussed her worries with the calm and wise Mother Abbess.
There was something about the abbess’s quiet and firm personal faith that gave me hope for Maria and hope for a good resolution to the story. I didn’t realize until my early teen years that Mother Abbess was alluding to Psalm 121 when she reminded Maria to lift up her eyes to the hills… to where her help comes from. (And of course, a fitting song followed!)
Something about those words gave me great hope and, as years passed, I grew to love them even more. They give so much encouragement! The word of the Lord is powerful, even when quoted indirectly as a line in a movie.
About 15 years ago, my daughters and I set out to memorize all of Psalm 121. Planting the words firmly in my heart and mind have served me well. When I’ve struggled physically, emotionally, or spiritually, they have soothed me and reminded me that God is my protector and strength.
(A few years ago, right here on DoNotDepart, we had a memory challenge based on this Psalm. Did you memorize Psalm 121 with us?)
Overview of Psalm 121
Psalm 121 is a “Song of Ascents.” Worshipers coming to the Temple would sing this psalm together as they climbed the hills to reach Jerusalem. This psalm’s origination is interesting because, like Lisa stated here, “We don’t know who wrote this Psalm, when, or on what occasion. But we can understand why: To build confidence in the Lord’s care.”
Psalm 121:1-2
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2)
In these first two verses, the psalmist encourages others to remember that help comes from the Lord. The original reciters of this psalm looked up on their journey, toward the hills of Jerusalem, and remembered God’s presence in the Temple. Similarly, we can look to God’s beautiful creation and remember our Helper is a powerful Creator! Since He created heaven and earth, He can easily take care of me.
Psalm 121:3-4
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121:3-4)
Not only does God take care of us, but He is always on duty. I love the reminder that He never “slumbers nor sleeps.” Though I don’t always see Him working, and perhaps I don’t always feel His presence, He is protecting me. (Yes, I have been through both of those situations.) These two verses have given me great comfort in times of grief, worry, and fear.
Instead of relying on feelings or even by my interpretation of my experiences, I can trust in this truth: God will not let me be moved. He keeps me from “slipping and falling” spiritually. (Of course, this doesn’t rule out my need to be obedient. It means that He is ever faithful to watch over me!)
Psalm 121:5-6
5The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
6The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night. (Psalm 121:5-6)
The original pilgrims heading toward Jerusalem would have encountered the heat and sun of the Middle East, yet God Himself is their shade. As a Central Texas girl, the analogy of dangerous heat and sun is something I can understand. A hot, sunny day can go from beautiful to dangerous in a matter of minutes, in certain situations.
What a beautiful reminder that when our Christian walk gets tough (as inevitably happens) God provides us with rest in His shade. That promise in verse 5 reminds me of the safe, green pastures of Psalm 23:2 and the shadow of the Almighty in Psalm 91:1. God gives us rest and keeps us safe from hurt. Instead of being struck down by the heat of the sun’s powerful rays, we are promised a reprieve. And no matter how scary the night may seem (literally or metaphorically), God will protect us then, too!
Psalm 121:7-8
7The LORD will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore. (Psalm 121:7-8)
These verses give so much hope! Not only does the Lord watch and protect us now as we travel our pilgrim roads (life), He will keep us safe in the future– for our entire lives.
“When we go out in youth to begin life, and come in at the end to die, we shall experience the same keeping. Our exits and our entrances are under one protection.” (Charles H. Spurgeon)
The original audience likely would have understood the “going out” and “coming in” to refer to their entrance into and exit out of Jerusalem, but they are also symbolic of all the goings on in a person’s whole life, and even of life itself.
Yes, every time we come and go (in other words, every time we do anything) we can be confident that God is with us. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a Believer’s seal, reminding us of this truth. Like little children learn in Sunday School, we can know God is always with us because Jesus lives in our hearts!
Look to the Hills, or to the…
Many of us will likely never go to Jerusalem. But we don’t have to be on a pilgrimage, looking to those hilltops in order to praise along with the psalmist.
No, we can praise God as we lift up our eyes to other hills or to the brilliant stars, mackerel clouds, budding flowers, trilling songbirds, and… you get the picture! His creation reminds us that He is powerful. He will take care of us, protect us, and always be with us!
Has this Psalm ever encouraged you? Or has looking toward God’s creation reminded you about His faithful protection? Please share with us in the comments or in our Facebook community.
Be blessed in all your goings out and your comings in!
In Him,
Ali
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