Psalm 121 Devotional
by Pastor Lawrence

As the Israelites/Jews were on their way to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the feast days they would sing this song of praise to the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Unlike the gods of the surrounding gentile nations who held sway over particular regions and dwelt only on one earthly hill or mountain, the God of Israel is Lord over every hill and valley, over all the heights and depths of the earth. So as they were travelling and passing by some of these provincial realms looking up to the hills, they would ask the question, “From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

This reminds me of the showdown between Elijah and the Baal prophets atop Mount Carmel the supposed home of the Baal deity. When the supposed god of thunder could not bring down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice of his devoted worshippers, Elijah mocked his impotence suggesting that perhaps he was asleep, or away on vacation, or deep in thought, or even relieving himself and unable to help at that moment. In contrast, the Lord of Heaven and Earth paid attention to Elijah’s brief prayer and immediately came to his aid. Here, the psalmist says that the Lord “will not let your foot be moved…the Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.” He will protect you, provide for you and pay attention to your needs. He will not abandon you in your time of need. Like a good shepherd, He will keep your going out and your coming in. He will not let you stray for long but will be looking for you in love even before you call upon his name.

Of course, there are times in which it feels like the Lord has abandoned us. There are times when the Lord seems very far away especially in the midst of our trials. But it is just a feeling. The Lord draws near to his loved ones and pays careful attention to their cries. Even though the psalmist cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” in Psalm 22, the Lord had not forsaken him. On the other hand, Jesus quoted this same expression in his cry from the cross when the Lord poured out his wrath upon his own son for our sakes. In that moment, the Lord had indeed forsaken his own son in the midst of the darkness so that He would not have to forsake us for our sin. With that perfect sacrifice that is well-pleasing in God’s sight, the Lord is free and unhindered in his love for us, in his willingness to help us, and in his ability to draw near to sinners sanctified in Christ Jesus. So no matter how you feel even in desperate times, remember the Lord is indeed your helper and your keeper from this time forth and forevermore.