Psalm 121

Psalm 121
A song of ascents.

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.

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(By the way, I wish I could have heard David and the other psalmists play these songs. Wouldn't that be amazing.)

Just like David confesses in Psalm 124, the author of this song declares the Lord is the source of help. The first line, "I lift my eyes up to the hills," is the physical portrait of the psalmists need. In desperation the psalmist is pondering, wondering, searching the skies as he is searching his own heart. In need of help, where can the psalmist turn?

"My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." How sure is the psalmist of this help? Listen to this...

"He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." Nothing occurs to which the Lord is oblivious to. He takes no break from watching over us; he takes no naps and no coffee breaks. He is constantly watching, keeping in tune with out situations.

Again, "The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night." All twenty four hours in the day are protected by God. Nothing escapes his view, and nothing is out of his reach. As Isaiah 59:1 "Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear." Twenty four hours of the day, we have a God who knows our situations and deepest needs - and His arm is not too short to save. Anything is possible for our God.

Here's a note from the New Spirit Filled Life Bible - "The Hebrew word for keeps (preserves) is used six times in this song, dramatically emphasizing the care of God (see Jude 24)." The translation I posted here uses the word "watches" instead of keeps or preserves. But the point is still made. The Lord is constantly watching out for his people, to keep and preserve them. "The Lord is my shepherd," David writes in the 23rd Psalm. His aim is to protect and preserve.

Lastly, the Lord's eye is on us forever more. "The Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore." As the children of God, we have a lifetime, even eternal, shepherd who guards our lives. If only we would lift our eyes up to the hill of the Lord and ask for help, and then it would be given freely! His eye is constantly on us; why don't we simply ask for him to intervene on our behalf. If we thought we needed his help, then surely we would.