I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. Indeed, the Protector Of Israel does not slumber or sleep. The Lord protects you; the Lord is a shelter right by your side. The sun will not strike you by day or the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all harm; he will protect your life. The Lord will protect your coming and going both now and forever.
-Psalm 121
For a traveler headed to Jerusalem, the journey could be a dangerous one. Not only would the heat of the desert sun itself be oppressive, but you would also have to pass through the rocky hills of the wilderness, in which there could be thieves hiding, looking to take advantage of solo travelers.
Psalm 121 is a Song of Ascent, which the Old Testament Jews would sing or recite as they walked toward Jerusalem for festivals. As they come to this mountainous part of the trip, I imagine them hurrying along as best they can, sticking together, keeping an eye to the ridges, looking for movement, listening for danger, singing or speaking these words to each other… “Our help comes from the Lord! He is our Protector! He’s not sleeping right now, he is right beside us! The sun won’t defeat us. The rocks won’t defeat us. The robbers won’t defeat us. The Lord will always be with us!”
HE NEVER SLEEPS, RIGHT?
Maybe you’re going through some tough things right now, and it feels like the world is against you. You feel like there’s someone or something crouching around every corner, just waiting for you to get there so it can take you down. Maybe you feel attacked from other people — coworkers, family members, a spouse or even a child. Maybe you feel attacked by Satan, where there are lies that keep creeping into your head and you’re starting to think God is sleeping on the job and doesn’t care about you anymore. Or maybe, you feel attacked by life itself, where it’s just one thing after another that is out of your control that wears you down.
DRAW OUT THE ENEMY
Jesus walked this road of life alone. He took on the attackers of sin, death, and separation from God, and let them overwhelm him to the point of death so we could have passage to eternal life. Every lie you’ve ever told or believed, every bad thought in your mind, sentence in your mouth, or motive in your heart, every selfish wish or action, all were on Jesus at the cross crushing the life out of him.
But what Satan meant for evil, God meant for good!
Jesus has drawn out the attackers, so we can be on our guard. We know where the attacks are coming from. We know what the enemy looks like. We know his plans and his schemes. Not only that, God raised Jesus to life so that by his Spirit, he would be with us every step of the way! He is our Comfort, our Protection, and our Defender! He’s even given us armor to wear that will be our protection in the battle — Salvation, like a helmet protecting our mind; His righteousness, like a breastplate protecting our vitals; His Word as a sword to use against the enemy; Faith to shield us from the flaming arrows the enemy tries to shoot at us; Peace and good news as shoes protecting our steps so we don’t slip up; and the Spirit himself in us as our guarantee that we will make it to the other side!
SONG OF FAITH
Our journey through this life, even as a Believer, isn’t safe by any means. But Psalm 121 is a song of faith in a God who is bigger than anything that can come against us. Whatever trial you’re going through today, recall and recite this song, calling on the faithfulness and strength of the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip. He’s not asleep on the job. He’s always working, always turning things for our good and his glory.