Heart Songs: Week 5 | Twenty-Four Seven (Psalm 121)Sample

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Imagine you are preparing for a two-week backpacking adventure, hiking by day and camping by night. You pack only the essentials: food, water, a first aid kit, sunscreen, and minimal clothing. The comforts of home stay behind because everything must relate to provision and protection. 

As you start your adventure, the guide mentions marauders in the hills ahead, but not to worry, the Lord is your keeper. The guide recounts that many who have traveled this path have succumbed to heat stroke and had to return to base camp, but not to worry, the Lord is your shade. There is no shade by day nor protection from the elements or animals by night, but not to worry, the Lord's mighty right hand will not allow anything to strike you. 

Suddenly, the provision and protection in your backpack seem insignificant. What good is your energy bar if a mountain lion decides he is hungry? The Lord must supply His provision and protection for you to arrive at your destination. You are utterly dependent upon His love and watchful eye. 

This was the situation for the Jewish pilgrims going to Jerusalem in Psalm 121. The psalm was written in a call-and-response style: one party would sing out the first two verses and what follows would be in response. The response is an encouragement to rely on the strength and protection of the Lord. 

Throughout the response, the pilgrims were reminded that God is big enough to make the heavens and the earth, yet involved enough not to let one believer's foot slip. God isn't prone to the sleepiness of man, and He won't doze off to let unexpected danger strike. He preserves His pilgrims with His powerful right hand—the hand of strength. He is also tender enough to provide shade for the weary, warmth for the cold, and protection for the vulnerable. 

God's character is complete, lacking nothing. Where we are prone to have strength in one area and weakness in another, God is not. His strength is perfect, His love is perfect, and His protection is perfect.

Today we focus on God's twenty-four-seven protection over our lives. Read verses 5-6 through the eyes of a pilgrim on a journey. Think about the craggy rocks and uneven path, the hot sun, and the cold nights. Think about the protection the Lord provided to His followers, both in biblical times and today. Think about your life and the elements from which God protects you.

Read the verses below and answer the following questions:

"The LORD is your keeper;

The LORD is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

Nor the moon by night" (Psalm 121:5-6).

Practical Observation

1. In what two ways is the Lord described? How are these two descriptors related?

2. In what areas of your life is the Lord your shade? Why is that significant?

3. What two things does the Lord shade us from? How do they relate to a time of day?

Keeper is translated as protector. Jesus protects all who believe in His name. When He prayed for His disciples, He said, "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost" (John 17:12). The Hebrew word for shade in Psalm 121:5 means defense or shadow (source). "I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved" (Psalm 16:8). God never slumbers and His protection has no time limit. He protects us twenty-four seven.

Personal Application

a. The Lord becomes our shade when we step into the shadow of the cross. Since becoming a Christian, how have you witnessed the Lord's protection against sin and Satan in your own life or in the life of another believer?

b. We are all vulnerable to attack in different seasons of life. Whether you are young or old, single or married, a parent or not, we all must rely on the Lord for protection. What specific attacks or challenges are you presently facing?

c. How are you asking God to keep you and shade you?

d. Pray a personal prayer based on Psalm 17:6-8. Ask God to show you His love and to protect you in all circumstances. Be specific. "O God! Yes, listen as I pray. Show me your strong love in wonderful ways, O Savior of all those seeking your help against their foes. Protect me as you would the pupil of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings as you hover over me" (Psalm 17:6-8, TLB). 

As we journey through life, we encounter storms. Some storms are more intense than others—some bring a sprinkle of rain, some bring pounding hail. Through it all, God keeps us under the shadow of His wing. He doesn't always prevent the storm, but He promises to keep us and protect us during the storm. Rest today knowing that whatever storm you may encounter, your heavenly Father protects you under the shadow of His wing.