Scripture: Psalm 121 (NRSV)
DEVOTIONAL:
In elementary school, I memorized Psalm 121 in our girls club at church. I still remember the motions that we made to this passage, especially verses 3-4, which say that God will not let your foot be moved, and that God neither slumbers nor sleeps. While doing these motions as a child, sliding my foot and pretending to fall, I always pictured myself slipping down a muddy hill, but God protecting me from the fall. God is my Creator, my Maker, and he wants to protect me and keep me safe, because he cares about me. My Creator will not strike me down, but watches over me always. The Lord is my Keeper, and when I lift my eyes up to him, I can seek and receive help.
In hard times, when I slip down the muddy hill and need to look up “to the hills” for help, I can easily see my own human vulnerability and humility. But in reality, I need God’s help all of the time – especially in the good times of life, and when I’m feeling like I can do everything on my own. God has declared himself as my Protector, and he will always help me, because he loves me.
The Lord is our Keeper, our Guardian, and these verses serve not only as a comfort and assurance, but as a challenge for us to make ourselves vulnerable to him in order to experience the crazy wonderful love that he has for us.
Scripture: Psalm 121 (NRSV)
I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come?
2My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
3He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
4He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
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 on and forevermore.