The LORD God Is Your Keeper (Psalm 121:1-8)

 

The LORD God Is Your Keeper (Psalm 121:1-8)

We always need help. God, who created and formed us, knows our needs and the best way to help us better than anyone else. He does not leave us to stand alone but desires that we always depend on Him and come to Him for help. Jesus promised His disciples, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7-8). That is why we pray without ceasing.

As 2024 comes to a close and the new year approaches, we are grateful for one thing above all else: our Lord God has shown us His grace of salvation daily through His Son, Jesus Christ. We cannot live without the love, joy, and peace that God the Father pours out in Christ each day. God delights in opening the heavens and generously giving to His children whenever and wherever they call upon Him. Amen! Happy New Year!

My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth

A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth (Psalm 121:1-2).

This psalm is a song of ascents. The psalmist lifted his eyes to the mountains, referring to the mountain where the temple in Jerusalem stood, and proclaimed that his help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Where does our help come from? Our help also comes from God, who created heaven and earth by His Word.

Life is filled with challenges and pressures from birth to death. We cannot live without help. Yet, our help is not found in the wealth, success, status, fame, or power of this world—not even in health. These are necessary but cannot be our ultimate help. Above all, we desperately need the grace of forgiveness because without it, there is no life. Wealth, status, fame, or power cannot bring forgiveness of sins. Without forgiveness, we cannot enter the eternal, imperishable, undefiled, and unfading kingdom of heaven. Only those who believe in Jesus Christ, the Son sent by God, can enter.

Therefore, our help comes only from the LORD God. It is a heavenly and spiritual help that descends from above. Jesus, though born on earth, came from heaven by God’s mighty power. He reigns in glory, authority, power, and majesty. His kingdom and authority are eternal, holy, perfect, just, and overflowing with peace and righteousness.

In contrast, this world, ruled by Satan, is corrupt, evil, and rebellious. Satan, the father of lies and a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44), rejected God’s help, rebelled, and fell under a curse. Deceived by his cunning lies, the world has fallen into sin. Humanity, in Adam, remains trapped in darkness, ignorance, and chaos. Satan falsely promises all the kingdoms of the world to those who follow him, disguising lies as truth. He prowls like a roaring lion, seeking to devour.

Satan took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me” (Matthew 4:8-9).

However, Satan’s help is deceptive and leads to destruction. He incites vengeance under the guise of justice, but it only brings turmoil and distress, not peace (Romans 2:9).

It was right that Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, had to judge this sinful and rebellious world. Yet instead of condemning it, He bore its sin on the cross and gave His life. Despite Satan’s temptation to save Himself, Jesus became the Passover Lamb to save the world from sin and death. Only the blood of Christ, shed to forgive and cleanse us, is our true help.

The LORD who keeps you will not slumber

He will not let your foot slip—He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep (Psalm 121:3-4).

Our true help, the Lord God, keeps us from stumbling and neither slumbers nor sleeps. Because the Lord God watches over us, we are safest in His care. Our enemy, the devil, seeks to harm and devour us whenever and wherever he can. But the Lord Almighty, with His eyes like blazing fire, protects and watches over us (Revelation 1:14).

God visited Abraham, who was burdened and struggling, and repeatedly assured him that He would keep and protect him, just as He had promised.

"After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: 'Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.'" (Genesis 15:1)

When Isaac dug wells in Beersheba, water was always found. However, Abimelek’s army came and claimed the wells as theirs, filling them in. In response, Isaac moved to another place and dug new wells. Once again, his adversaries came, quarreled, and seized the wells. Isaac yielded and moved to yet another location, digging more wells. Eventually, Abimelek, recognizing God’s power, authority, and glory in protecting Isaac, approached him with a desire for peace.

"They answered, 'We saw clearly that the Lord was with you; so we said, "There ought to be a sworn agreement between us—between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you 29 that you will do us no harm, just as we did not harm you but always treated you well and sent you away peacefully. And now you are blessed by the Lord."'" (Genesis 26:28-29)

The Lord God, who watches over Israel, sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to save it from sin at the appointed time, through the Virgin Mary. For 400 years after the prophet Malachi, no word came from God. Yet, God neither slumbers nor sleeps. He sent an angel to Mary in the town of Nazareth in Galilee to announce the birth of the Savior.

"'You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.'" (Luke 1:31-33)

Nearly 2,000 years have passed since Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. Some mockingly ask, "Where is this 'coming' he promised?" (2 Peter 3:3-4). But Jesus is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). The Bible warns that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When that day comes, it will be irreversible.

"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare." (2 Peter 3:10)

The LORD is your shade at your right hand.

The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night (Psalm 121:5-6).

How does the Lord God protect Israel? God becomes their shade at their right hand. In the desert, shade is incredibly important. God protected and guarded Israel by appearing as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. The desert is hot during the day and cold at night. During Israel’s forty years of wandering in the wilderness, God provided manna from heaven, brought water out of the rock, and ensured their clothing and sandals did not wear out. He protected them from surrounding enemies, allowing them to pass in peace, and defeated those who refused to open the way.

Abraham, with a small number of men in his household, defeated the powerful coalition of Kedorlaomer and his allies to rescue his nephew Lot. After his victory, God sent Melchizedek to bless Abraham and revealed the secret of how he had overcome his enemies and rescued Lot.

“And he blessed Abram, saying, ‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.’ Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything” (Genesis 14:19-20).

God watched over and protected Abraham, who had obeyed His promise and lived as a sojourner in Canaan. Though Abraham did not receive the promised inheritance during his lifetime (Hebrews 11:39), God surrounded him with His grace and love, keeping him safe in His hands. Thus, Abraham looked forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God—the heavenly kingdom. While living as a stranger on this earth, Abraham worshiped the Lord God alone.

The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in

The LORD will keep you from all harm—He will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore (Psalm 121:7-8).

We face trials and tribulations in this world, but we are safe because God protects us. Even Jesus, who was without sin, came to this earth and suffered trials and afflictions. He had committed no crime deserving punishment, let alone crucifixion. Yet He endured it all in obedience to fulfill the redemptive will of His Father, God. At that time, God raised Jesus from the cold tomb and exalted Him to the highest place in heaven, making Him the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Jesus called His disciples and revealed that He was the Christ sent by the God of their ancestors. He demonstrated this through His teachings about the kingdom of heaven, miracles, signs, healings, and the casting out of demons. Furthermore, Jesus bore the sins of the world, shed His blood, died on the cross, was buried, and rose again on the third day as proof of His victory. Thus, Jesus became the atoning sacrifice that brings peace between God and humanity. Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ and is cleansed by His blood is reconciled with God and becomes an heir of all the riches of heaven.

Jesus said to His disciples:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

The Lord Almighty, our God, is the One who watches over us as we go out and come in. He protects us not only during our life on earth but for all eternity. This promise is like an anchor for our souls. When we face trials and suffering, our heavenly Father does not abandon us like orphans but guards and protects us.

Even in this world, there are limits to how much our closest family members can protect us. However, our heavenly Father is all-knowing and all-powerful, fully capable of meeting all our needs without lacking anything. Amen!

December 29, 2024
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Scripture quotations are from New International Version (NIV).