Eternal Vigilance

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”  ~Psalm 121:1–2

The Jews used to sing these words as they journeyed up to Jerusalem for the great feasts of the Jewish calendar. With miles of barren wilderness to cross, all under the blazing heat of the Palestinian sun, no hospitals to treat any injuries along the way, and the constant threat of marauding bandits and robbers, such journeys were fraught with danger. Looking up to the hills, these Jews had every reason to fear. Looking up to God, they had none. This psalm stands as a timeless reminder of God’s eternal vigilance, and I want us to consider it together this morning.

The Present Help

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”  (vv. 1–2)

The opening verses remind us of our natural tendency to always be on the lookout for danger. We live in a fallen, ferocious world. As Job reminds us, “For affliction does not come from the dust, nor does trouble sprout from the ground, but man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward” (Job 5:6–7). For the Jew on his journey, the craggy, shadowy mountains spoke loudly of hidden dangers. The psalmist reminds us all to look above them to the God who made every square inch of the cosmos. Wherever life’s journey puts us this morning, we stand on YHWH’s home turf. He sees what we cannot. He can help whatever is wrong. He reigns supreme above every friend and every foe. They are His servants and we are His children. Our lives and all we hold dear rest in good hands. 

The Sleepless Guardian

“Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand.” (vv. 4–5)

Navigating a treacherous mountain pass would be a scary prospect for any of us. One wrong step and we could turn an ankle, break a leg, or fall hundreds of feet to our death. What comfort, therefore, to know that our Guardian holds our feet in His hands. Every step is kept. Unintended-for-good accidents are simply impossible. God’s love is relentless and ceaseless. Though we sleep, He never does. Even at our most vulnerable moments, we have an eternally vigilant Guardian. 

The Constant Shade

“The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.” (vv. 5–6)

For the weary traveler, the temperature swings – by day too hot and by night too cold – present a constant challenge. Even here, God’s help is available. Behind this metaphor probably stands the ancient notion that the heat of the sun and the presence of the moon can profoundly affect our own mental disposition. What a comfort to know that God’s keeping hand guards us against all such extremes. Christian, how is your mental state this morning? Are you anxious, unsettled, or perhaps even despondent? Are you fearful of how you might respond today as you lean into various threats and dangers? Bring your soul to God. Ask Him to govern your lips, and more, to govern your heart’s response. As Solomon reminds us, “The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD… The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:1,9).

The Ultimate Protection

“The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” (vv. 7-8) 

 Notice here the totality of the protection God offers His child. He keeps us not just from some evil or most evil, but from all evil. Our very lives rest in His hands. He gives His angels charge over us, to guard us in all our ways (Psalm 91:11). He Himself stands above them – an ever-watching, all-holding Sentinel, observing all our wanderings from beginning to end. The language of “going out and coming in” is a merism, two opposites that are all-inclusive. It reminds us that we are never out of God's sight, we are never out of God's care, and we live our lives always nestled in God’s hands.

Whatever you face today, Christian, take heart. You shall not face it alone. God will be with you every step of the way.