October 24 - Psalm 121

October 24 - Psalm 121:1-8

One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 119, but I figured that asking you to read that in one day would be tantamount to literary suicide, so I moved past it to Psalm 121, yet another favorite.

The Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120 – 134) were sung as pilgrims approached the city during the Festivals. Psalm 121 is an affirmation of the God who watches over Israel and shelters them from harm.

The Psalmist is looking for security and comfort. He looks to the hills – the hills that surround Jerusalem. Jesus tells us in Mark 13:14 to flee to the mountains. These are natural defenses around Jerusalem. Jesus was speaking of the end times when things would be so awful and the abomination of desolation would become obvious to the world. If you were living in Judea, flee to the hills.

Psalm 121:1 reads as a desire filled with expectation. Psalm 121:2 comes as the fulfillment of that question. In Psalm 121:3-4, we hear the Psalmist’s words as a comfort to one who would be walking and singing this Psalm. How many times does your foot slip when walking on uneven ground. There was no such thing as pavement on the dusty roads leading to Jerusalem.

I found myself walking off the sidewalk yesterday on very uneven ground. Rocks of all sizes and divots in the ground made it difficult to walk quickly. I realized that I had gotten off the sidewalk to allow a group to pass me, but I hadn’t immediately stepped back onto the pavement when they had moved on. As soon as I did, I walked confidently. God will not let your foot slip, though you are on uneven ground.

The Creator who has never been anywhere else but with us, never slumbers nor sleeps. He is constantly watching over Israel. He is constantly watching over us. I felt confident as a child, knowng that my Dad was in the house. He slept with one ear open and always knew what was happening in the house during the night. However, a God that never sleeps brings a sense of incredible safety. Nothing will be missed – even in the dark of the night. I have relied on that sensation through many a night when I've been terrorized over things that happened to me during the day or frightened of events and conversation that would have to happen the next day. God will always protect me.

Psalm 121:5-8 continues the affirmation of God’s protective nature. Thank Him for caring for you so much that He watches your every move.