Psalm 121

Good evening. I am glad that we can be here together. I am glad that we are here together tonight.

Tonight We will be continuing to dig into the Psalms. Psalm 121 is our focus tonight. Let’s read it together.

Psalm 121 NIV

A song of ascents. 1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; 6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; 8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

What a wonderful passage of scripture. It had me thinking about Panther Mountain. Panther Mountain is a mountain up in the Adirondack national forest that every summer that we would go camping as family we would climb. It wasn’t a very long hike. Only about 1.6 miles and at times it gets pretty rocky.

Growing up each year I always remember us getting to the top of the mountain and looking out over the lakes and woods below and being in awe of what i saw. I also remember my mom being a nervous wreck as me and my brothers and sister climbed all over the place. This is because there were several spots that one slip or fall would send you over the edge of a substantial cliff.

As a Kid i never appreciated that nervousness, until I took my kids up this mountain for the first time. There were many times that I couldn’t help but be nervous as my kids headed in any direction that was near the cliffs. It is that innate desire to keep your kids safe that was the driving force behind that nervousness.

It isn’t easy but we have to step forward in trust knowing he has us and this Psalm says that beautifully.

He is our Helper

When times are tough it is easy for us to get discouraged and to become frustrated with our situation. Yet, when we come to trust in him and to look to the heavens we can know that he is our helper. He wants what is best for us. Yet, that doesn’t always mean life is perfect. Sometimes we have to go through hardship and we just need to lean into him.

Psalm 121:2 NIV

2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Isn’t amazing to think though that even in hard times we have the creator of the heavens and the earth on our side. No matter what the outcome we come out on top in this world. If he delivers us in a miraculous way or we end up in heaven some day we can come out on top because of his love for us. When life gets hard we have the creator to lean on and to lift us up and to carry us. He doesn’t stop watching us he is aware of our lives and he cares.

For me it brings a peace of mind knowing that God is there for us in that fashion. His love for us is that he is like a nervous mother or father on a mountain top. Watching his kids run and walk around freely in at times a dangerous place. I can’t imagine what it is like for him watching over us. protecting us from harm.

It had me thinking though many people might ask well why would he even let us come to harm?

Why would he let us run around?

Why would God not just keep us all safe?

It is the constant struggle of the freedom of will that we all have. The truth is that hardship comes and the freedom to choose both for ourselves as individuals and others having the ability to choose causes problems. Without it though would be truly be able to love to our fullest. Would we be able to love God with all our hearts or would it be a emotionless action that has no meaning.

The Protection of God

Psalm 121:7–8 NIV

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; 8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

When i read these verses i struggled with them for awhile. I thought on them and it is important to talk about this. This is not a promise of a cushioned life but one that looks at even the darkest of valleys and has the confidence to face it. Think of

Psalm 23:4 NIV

4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

It isn’t that we won’t face the dark valley it is the truth that we have the knowledge that God is with us.

I Go back to the story of Anna from this past Wednesday that we learned about in our Bible study. Here was a women that was widowed at a young age. She could have easily slipped into a place of sorrow and despair because she was in for a hard life. Yet, she became known as a prophetess because she worshiped and praised God. She lived her life in trust that he was going to take care of her and to have no reason to fear. She lived till she was in her 80s at least and she was able to see the promise of God in the coming of Jesus. Not one time did she lose her faith and her trust that God had her. This gives us reason to be thankful that he is watching over our lives.

Facing tomorrow

It is easy for us to sit in despair in the view of the world today. It is a difficult thing to turn on the news and to see the harship that we face. Wars, culture shifts, moral issues, and the many other challenges we face that are very counter cultural to the church. Not only that but we see the church shifting to meet the culture in ways that we shouldn’t be. Yet, in all this we have to trust that God has his church in his hands. That the message of the Gospel remains. We have to stand firm knowing and trying to follow his will to trust that he will help us get through these times.

IT is easy to think that we are facing the worst it has ever been in the history of the world but think about this. Imagine being in church during the plague. You can’t tell me that people weren’t looking around and saying this is the end of all existence. A lot of the hardships that we have aren’t new they just look a little different than they have in the past.

This Psalm gives me hope because it gives me the courage to face tomorrow.

I will leave you with this.

Romans 5:3–5 NIV

3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

That is the truth that this passage shares with us that we can have hope in Him and we can know he is there with us no matter what comes our way.