When someone is supposed to be on guard duty, it is vitally important that they not fall asleep. If you’re supposed to be protecting something important or valuable, you need to be awake and alert. Just this past Sunday some criminals were able to get into the Louvre and steal the French Crown Jewels. Obviously some guards were “asleep on the job”. If you have your valuables somewhere, you want that place watched around the clock, and the guards wide awake. When our children are away, we want the security to be alert where they are at. No one wants to find that those who were supposed to be watching their child were asleep! There is Someone who is always watching over us, and who will never fall asleep while on duty! We read about Him in our psalm for this week.
Our psalm for the week is Psalm 121, one of the “Songs of Ascent”, which are Psalms 120-134). These were generally sung by pilgrims who were going to Jerusalem to celebrate one of several holy days. The theme of this particular psalm is that God is constantly protecting and caring for His people, and it encourages us to trust in His care, especially in times of uncertainty or danger, which we all go through at various times throughout our life.
As the pilgrims would hike closer and closer to Jerusalem, they would see the many hills that surrounded the holy capital city (vs. 1-2). Those hills would be both beautiful and also ominous. They were beautiful because it signaled that they were closer to their destination, the Temple in Jerusalem. However, frequently in the hills bandits would often lurk, waiting for pilgrims to pass by so they could jump on them and rob them of their belongings. There could also be wild animals prowling around which could be dangerous. Where would their help come from? Those in their group would be just as vulnerable. We need to seek our help from the Lord. In times of trouble, we must look beyond earthly sources, and fix our eyes on the Lord. He, alone, is omnipotent. The One who made all things is fully capable of sustaining and protecting His people. We can trust in His power and sovereignty.
We read next how God so very carefully watches over us (vs. 3-4). He will never fall asleep while on the job! God’s protection is constant and unwavering. It is only human nature to get weary and tired. It’s unfortunate, but sometimes those who are supposed to be guarding us or our valuables might fall asleep. However, God is divine, not human, and He never grows weary (Isaiah 40:28). He is always alert. We can safely rest because He never does. Just as God kept Israel, He keeps all those who have put their faith and trust in Him. Yahweh is the Keeper of His people!
As the psalmist continues, he refers to Yahweh as our keeper and our shade (vs. 5). As our Keeper, He is personally involved in our life, certainly not a distant and uninvolved God that some believe. Yahweh is also our shade. When our way grows weary we long for a nice shady place to sit and rest, and that is what He provides for us. The Hebrew word used here for shade is “sel”, which can also be translated as a shadow. One thing about our shadow is, we can never escape from it. Our shadow always follows us, and is right there beside us, no matter where we go. We can run as fast as we can, but our shadow is right at our heels, right beside us. God is always that close to us. Yahweh is not distant. He is at our right hand, ready to shield and sustain us (Psalm 16:8).
God’s protection of us is round the clock, both day and night (vs. 6). Again, as mentioned earlier, our human protectors will grow weary and tired. They cannot last all day, every day, but God can. He will keep us safe both from the dangers of the day, and also those of the night. Whether facing visible dangers or unseen fears, God’s care encompasses every moment (Psalm 91:5-6).
God not only watches over us physically, but He also protects our soul (vs. 7-8). Once we have accepted Jesus as our personal Savior, we are His, and we are His forever. Our souls are safe. Nothing can separate us from Him (Romans 8:38-39). No evil can ultimately harm our soul. God is our eternal refuge. God’s protection is both present and eternal. He guards every aspect of our journey through life.
As we look back over this brief psalm, we can rejoice in the fact that God never sleeps. He is always awake and always alert. We can trust our life and that of our loved ones into His ever-vigilant care. He will never be distracted and let some danger get by Him without His notice. When anxiety creeps in, remember that God never sleeps. He is always watching over you!
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