God Protects Us
Psalm 121 A song of the stairway
1–2 I look up to the mountains and hills, longing for God’s help.
But then I realize that our true help and protection
come only from the Lord,
our Creator who made the heavens and the earth.
3 He will guard and guide me, never letting me stumble or fall.
God is my keeper; he will never forget nor ignore me.
4 He will never slumber nor sleep;
he is the Guardian-God for his people, Israel.
5 Jehovah himself will watch over you;
he’s always at your side to shelter you safely in his presence.
6 He’s protecting you from all danger both day and night.
7 He will keep you from every form of evil or calamity
as he continually watches over you.
8 You will be guarded by God himself.
You will be safe when you leave your home
and safely you will return.
He will protect you now,
and he’ll protect you forevermore!
(The Passion Translation)
We keep and watch over the things we love and value. Many of us in preparing for out-of-town trips have had to find someone to keep our pets, our homes and businesses, or maybe even our children. Who would watch over them to make sure they were protected, cared for, and kept safely until you returned?
Undoubtedly you put a lot of thought and cared deeply about finding the right person to keep the things that belonged to you. In the same way, God watches over us. He watch-keeps us.
The Hebrew word used to describe this idea is shamar: it means to keep, to watch, and to preserve.
What does this look like? Here are just a few examples...
He orders our steps (Proverbs 16:9)
He directs our hearts into His love (Is 30:21; 2 Thess 3:5)
He shepherds us into His provision and protection (Psalm 23, John 10:27-28)
He works all things on our behalf for our good (Rom 8:28)
Not only does He keep watch over us but He is also the Keeper of Israel, and just like we found trusted friends to keep the things we loved while we were away, so the Lord too entrusts the watch-care of Israel to His friends.
“I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent,” - Isaiah 62:6 NKJV
“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” - Matthew 26:41 NKJV
Let's keep in remembrance how God so faithfully watches over us and how He is invited us to be watch-keeper friends for Israel.