Psalm 121

A song of ascents.
Author: Anonymous. Some suggest Hezekiah.

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
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.


We continue on our journey, our ascent to the “mountain of the Lord”.

At first glance, this Psalm is full of assurance of God’s protection, of His presence and guidance. It is a psalm of faith and trust in God. Remember that this psalm was probably written and sung in the beginning of the journey of ascent where danger and peril still lie ahead of the pilgrims.

The psalmist needs help and where does he look? He lifts his eyes and looks at the journey ahead. It’s tough, it’s uphill, and he wonders “where does my help come from?”

That’s a rhetorical question - the rest of the Psalm answers it. Our help comes not just from any one or any god, but from THE Maker of heaven and earth, the Creator Himself.

When we are afraid, there are times we think God has left us or fallen asleep. Those feelings can be very real, but that’s not the truth.

Proverbs 3:26 says “For the Lord shall be your confidence, firm and strong, and shall keep your foot from being caught in a trap or some hidden danger.” Danger and difficulty may be ahead of us, but the Lord knows every step we take and He shall protect us from any hidden danger!

I love verse 5. What does “the LORD is your shade at your right hand” mean?

In the days of the Old Testament, when soldiers go to war, they carry their shield in their left hand and their sword on their right. When they fight, every front part of their body is protected by the shield except for their right hand. They are most dangerous when they use their sword, and also the most vulnerable.

In the Amplified Bible, verse 5 reads “The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand [the side not carrying a shield].”

Imagine yourself fighting a war. You have a shield in your left hand to protect yourself but need your right hand to wield the sword in attack. You can’t attack and protect yourself at the same time. The assurance is that God protects the parts we can’t protect! He covers all ground! There is nothing that is beyond His protection!

I don’t know about you, but the word “watch” used in verse 7 gives me the impression that it’s a passive word, almost like God is a spectator “watching” over my life and not doing anything about it. So I delved into the original word and found that this word “watch” used in this psalm is from the Hebrew word “shamar”, which means to preserve and protect – 2 words which need action! So God is not just watching over you like He’s watching a movie, but He’s actively preserving and protecting your life. Oh yes, He’s actively involved in everything about you because He loves you so so much.

I hope that by now you get the idea that God is absolutely trustworthy and 100% involved in protecting and guiding you. When we lift up our eyes from our current circumstances, whatever they may be, let’s be confident that our help does and will come from Him.

I wonder what your song will be when you face dangers, perils and difficulties in your life. Will you sing a psalm like this one, full of hope and trust in God’s protection? We have much to learn from this Psalm and its writer. Keep your eyes on Him.

Apply it:
Pray this Psalm over yourself or somebody you know who’s facing a difficult time. Declare the truth in every single sentence in faith and trust.

Praying for and believing in God's love for each of you...

luv,
jenn