Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray with Me”.
Psalm 121 is a favorite, perhaps second only to Psalm 23. It begins,
I will lift up my eyes to the hills.
Where does my help come from?
My help is from the Lord,
maker of heaven and earth (vv. 1-2).
The poet is not hoping for help from the hills. He is looking beyond them to the hand that created them, the hand that is strong and present and willing to help.
And what kind of help is on offer? That helper is God, acting as your bodyguard, or keeper.
The poet celebrates the protection service God provides. Here’s his the menu of services: – He watches you, guarding you round the clock, 24/7 (vv. 3-4).
– He protects you from all harm, or evil (v. 7).
– He protects you from burning daytime heat, and from night time crazies caused by the moon (v. 6).
– He guards your life (v. 7b).
– He watches over your travels–your coming and going (v. 8).
– He’s locked into a permanent contract, watching you forever. He doesn’t plan to quit or retire (v. 8).
Let’s pray.
Our father, we lift our eyes to the hills, and to you who live beyond them. With poet we say,
My help comes from you
who made heaven and earth.
You guard us with unsleeping vigilance,
You watch us all day and all night (v. 2, 4).
Lord, we sleep but you watch wakefully.
We have attention deficit disorder, but you are always attentive.
We lose focus and get confused, but you multitask with ease.
We forget what we are doing and lose track of our goals, but you are always there to guard and guide us.
With the poet we believe that:
The sun will not harm harm us by day
nor the.moon by night (v. 6).
This week’s heat wave in western Canada is setting record temperatures in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, burning up wheat and canola crops, baking those of us too cheap to install air conditioning. But we trust your promise, that the sun will not harm us by day
You also promise, “The moon will not harm you by night.” Save us then from our midnight madness, from the anxieties that trouble us as we go to sleep, from the dreams that disturb our peace, from the darkness that invades our souls. Be to us a God of sunlight and sweet dreams.
With the poet we say,
You will guard us from all evil.
You will guard our lives.
You will guard our coming and going
now and forevermore (vv. 7-8).
Guard us then, Lord, as you have promised. Watch our wandering wills and conform them to your will. Watch our wandering ways, and direct them on a straight path. Watch our wandering lives and teach them to bear fruit for you. Guard us with unsleeping care until we find our home in you.
Amen.
I’m Daniel on the channel “Pray with Me”.
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