The Lord Our Protector – Psalm 121

Thursday, August 8, 2024

The Lord Our Protector – Psalm 121 Submitted by Kay Crumley

I remember that as I child I was convinced that my dad could fix or overcome anything. So, if I was afraid or had broken something the solution was to call out to Dad. At least in my preteen years he was able to take care of or protect me in every crisis I faced. As I grew older, I often looked elsewhere for the solution to life’s difficulty. Many times, I looked to myself for the solution as I was pretty sure I could handle it myself. We are all guilty of believing we are self-sufficient and stop seeking help from others until we have no other place to turn. The truth is that we need a protector for all our lives and that protection can only come from one source who has all the power and authority to provide our needs. That is the Lord God, creator of all, sustainer, protector, and refuge for His people.

There are a group of Psalms classified as Songs of Ascent. These are chapters 120-134. Each is short and is thought to have been songs that Israelite pilgrims sang to worship God on their pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the three annual festivals. Let’s look at Psalm 121 today and apply it to our lives as we seek Him to be our protector.

The first two verses are a question and answer to the question. We may look around us as the psalmist did and wonder who or what can help us in our current circumstances. The mountains around Jerusalem where the Israelites looked to find God may have been where they looked. Do you and I look to God for help first? The experience of this writer provided the answer, my help comes from God. He is the Lord of all creation. Even though we have may have experienced God’s provision and protection we often fail to look to Him first in each challenge we face.

¹ I lift my eyes toward the mountains.
Where will my help come from?
² My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

Verses 3-4 provide reminders to us of what He has done in the past. He will not allow your foot to slip.Does that mean we who are followers of Christ will never fall? 1 Samuel 2:9 He guards the steps of His faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness, for a man does not prevail by his own strength. We do not have the strength to manage on our own. But those who follow God have His protection and He will guard our steps; He will make our path straight if we keep our eyes on Him. The final assurance we find in these verses is that He will not sleep in our time of need but is forever available to hear the cries of His children.

³ He will not allow your foot to slip;
your Protector will not slumber.
⁴ Indeed, the Protector of Israel
does not slumber or sleep.

We find that He is our source of protection in verses 5-6. He is our shelter, the defense against the weather shading us from the heat of the day and the cold of the night. He is on our right side. The right hand is the side of action Psalm 16:8 I always let the LORD guide me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. His mighty right hand is the protection from our enemies. We alone cannot deflect the attacks of Satan, but God is there to provide all the protection we need. 

⁵ The Lord protects you;
the Lord is a shelter right by your side. 
⁶ The sun will not strike you by day
or the moon by night.

Just in case you haven’t gotten the message yet in the first 6 verses, the writer ends by summing up just how powerful our Advocate truly is. He protects us from all harm. If you missed it in Sunday’s message from Brad, the meaning of all is ALL. He protects our life. Psalm 32:7 You are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance. Any time we are fearful of anything He is our hiding place. He is our ‘safe room’ for all circumstances. We are surrounded by Him and have reason to shout joyfully.  Take a moment to just close your eyes and get a mental picture of what that means to you. You can retire from all the cares of this life into His hiding place where you’re protected by the all-powerful, majestic God of the universe. Rest there in His peace. He protects us wherever we are, our coming and going, for all time, now and forever. 

⁷ The Lord will protect you from all harm;
He will protect your life.
⁸ The Lord will protect your coming and going
both now and forever.

Did you experience His presence and peace as you stopped all other activity and just relaxed in His place of protection? Take time to reread this chapter in the version that speaks to you most clearly. Rid your mind of the noise, clutter, confusion of the world. Allow Him to be your source of help. Open your mind to the promise that He is in control regardless of what is happening in the world. Find your rest in Him.