Psalm 121

Good morning! It is a great day to e in the house of the Lord?

Happy Father’s day!!!

What a blessed way to celebrate today in the house of our heavenly father, amen?!

Fatherhood disclaimer

God is the perfect father

There is an amazing program that some churches host called Celebrate Recovery

Anyone ever heard of that?

When I Pastored Plainville Nazarene Church in Plainville KS we had a couple who felt called to launching a celebrate recovery ministry at the church

I got behind them and said sure what’ll I do to help

Well, they informed me that i have to join the step study. that is walking through the 12 steps and the 8 principles and applying them to whatever hurt habit or hangup I was seeking recovery from

So, I had to decide where to start!

Turns out, My name is Nick and I’m in recovery for control.

My issue, well I’ve got many, but the one I’m sharing about today… is that I have this need to be able to control my situation

I’m always scanning a situation and seeing if things are ever going to get out of control,

I don’t like going anywhere if I’m not driving. I may want to leave… and i don’t want to have to be out of control as to when I get home

The list goes on

Pray for Me as I continue to lay this on the altar and give it to the Lord. It seems to be one of the issues that keeps making it back into my back pocket as I walk away from the altar

I was reminded of this ongoing process as I was reading Psalm 121 this week.

We’re going to break down Psalm 121 but before we do, we’re going to stand for the reading of it.

If you are willing and able would you please stand

READ PSALM 121

Pray

Psalm of ascents

there were 3 festivals that required every able bodied man to travel from wherever they were in Israel or Juda to come to Jerusalem and present an offering at the temple

The psalms of ascents were songs meant to be sung by these pilgrims as they are traveling to and from Jerusalem

Encouragement, reaffirmation of faith, reminders of God’s goodness

Something to do on a long car ride when you phone battery is dead and theres no radio reception

Its not 100% agreed upon if this psalm is one for those heading into jerusalem or leaving from jerusalem heading home

If it is meant for those heading to Jerusalem we can look at v 1

could be looking at the mountains as a reminder of God’s faithfulness as a the steadiness of mountains would

Could be a counter point - could be looking at the hills and referencing the high places… where false idols are set up and false idol worship takes place

Could be looking at the Jerusalem as it was built on a hill…

If it is meant for those heading home

mountains could be a place of danger… think of the parable of the good Samaritan… looking in dread at the possibility of attack

could be a reminder of fortress and hiding yourself in the Lord

could be dread of the effort that it takes to traverse hills without your 4wheel drive! Right? they were on foot or with carts and donkeys… that surely is not fun

One thing that is not up for debate is the answer

MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD who made heaven and earth

The psalmist is telling us that there is nothing that is going to come your way that the Lord God almighty will not be your sustainer and guide and protection

The psalm doesn’t say I lift my eyes to the hills and then I figure out how to navigate all the issues coming my direction

It doesn’t say that I can control the outcome if I’m just prepared enough, if I just try hard enough, it doesn’t say that if I scrimp and save enough that I’ll be able to handle the situations that come

NO my help comes from the Lord, the sovereign king of all creation

It doesn’t matter if the problem is financial, physical, emotional, spiritual, psychological.... the answer is not in simply relying on my ability to mitigate danger and figure things out

NO my help comes from the lord

That tells me that I will need help

That there are going to be times when no matter how much planning I’ve done, No matter how much saving I’ve done… no matter how many times i’ve written it down… that things are not going to add up. Things are going to go haywire

My help has to come from the Lord… because if I could help myself… i wouldn’t need help!

Now listen… i’m not knocking wisdom.

You should save, plan, and prepare.

HOWEVER… the idea that by doing those things you can control anything is an illusion. You control one thing… that’s how obedient you are to Lord. That’s it

Yall that’s only the first 2 verses!

V3

He will not let your foot be moved

That is if your foot is planted on the rock

This is the image of standing firm of not being overtaken, of not falling off the path

This is the image of the Lord establishing your steps.

commit your ways to him and he will establish your steps

And only HE can because the one who keeps you will not slumber

Unlike man who needs sleep, unlike the pagan gods who need to rest, or to journey into the underworld, or need human efforts, the God who created everything isn’t slacking

Now this next exchange is so encouraging so pay attention

We see that God who keeps you doesn’t sleep

then in v4 we have almost a response that takes that statement out of the personal relationship and puts it in the context of the church

Some people actually believe that this was originally sung in a sort of call and response

1 then 2, 3 then 4, then the rest was a response or a benediction to this statement in v4

How like you and me is this.

I say Jesus loves you and we think of course he loves the whole world. John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Right?!

He loves everybody.

Its easy to miss the fact that though that is very true… that Jesus loves his church, and he died for the salvation of the lost… he Loves YOU. Like you personally

I don’t remember who said it but the truth is that God is ultimately supreme and omnicient yet intimately personal

He is involved in all creation and that means even down to the microcosm of you

v 5 reminds us not only is the Lord the keeper of Israel who doesn’t slumber or sleep… but the Lord is your keeper

Also, check this out… you see how in v2 and 5 the word Lord is written in all caps but they are just like small uppercase letters?

That is the covenental name of God

that is whats called the tetragrammaton

the 4 letters yhwh that we get think is pronounce Yahweh. It is the name of God

see cause God is a title… but Yhwh is is name. Lord is a title, but yhwh is his name

The author is saying that this isn’t some god (lower case) this is the covenental God of all creation, yahweh by name… who is your keeper.

The psalmist goes on

He is your shade on your right hand

Meaning protection from the hot sun

Something they would’ve known about living in the harsh desert.

Physical protection from dangers seen and understood

Nor the moon by night

Day or night

seen or unseen

known or unknown

The Lord will keep you from all evil he will keep your life

That is the entirety of your life

And to add good measure the Lord will keep your traveling, your path, your journey, your future now and forevermore

I don’t know who needs this reminder

But God is not only the God of all creation… though he is,

but he is the God of your situation

Our God knows your name, He calls you by name, and even before you committed your first sin… and while you were in the midst of your sin… Christ chose to die for you.

This psalm is a reminder to us… especially those of us who like to think that we can control things

That we have to plan or organize or schedule or figure out or make it happen

This is a reminder that no matter what comes our way… our help comes from the one who can handle anything

Our help comes from the creator of everything. And not only has he created all… not only is he the covenantal God of Israel and the church… he is the keeper of your life.

1 peter 5:7 “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

John 14:1 ““Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”

We know what that relationship with the living God looks like because we have access to the life and power of Jesus Christ