Psalm 121: A song
of ascents.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does
my help come from?
My help comes from God,
the Maker of
heaven and earth.
God will not let your foot slip—
God who
watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, God who watches over Israel
will neither
slumber nor sleep.
The Creator watches over you—
God is your
shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon
by night.
The Creator will keep you from all
harm—
God will
watch over your life;
the Creator will watch over your
coming and going
both now and
forevermore.
We know this Psalm as we have heard
it a hundred times over from friends or family members, pastors or Sunday
school teachers reminding us of God’s love, and that God will always be there
watching over us even in the hard times…
This Psalm of Ascent, included with
others like it, Psalms 120 - 134, was collected to be used in conjunction with
a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. It is not “meant to suggest that those who walk in the
shelter of God will face no harm or that nothing ill will befall them. The
Psalter knows all too well that the wicked are everywhere and that they thrive
unjustly,” writers Dr. Jacobson of Luther Seminary. It is a reminder of God’s
presence with us as we make our life journeys. The Psalm begins with the
traveler’s question, and immediately following, her confession, signifying her faith
and trust in the Creator to guide her even when hard times come:
1 I lift my eyes to the hills --
from where will my help
come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and
earth.
Many of us have dealt with our share
of hard times, have raised our eyes towards the hills, have desperately looked
to the heavens for help, seeking the comfort and presence of God. The second
part of this Psalm is a benediction of blessing, and points to the promise of
God, “Shamar” in Hebrew, which means “to keep” us. May you receive this promise
as a marker of your inheritance as a child of God, and a reminder that you
are being kept, “Shamar” in the palm of God’s hand.
8 The Lord will keep your going out
and your coming in from this time on and for evermore.