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

Safe-Guarded

Near Istanbul lives a species of bird that appears to be constantly in flight. These birds are called Pelkovans and they are known for their melancholy calls. These birds are rarely seen at rest; the local people call them "lost souls" seeking safety and rest and finding neither (adapted from "Unresting Souls," Heartwarming Bible Illustrations, Quickverse Sermon Builder, edited and compiled by Richard A. Steele, Jr. and Evelyn Storm [2005]). The phrase "lost souls" and all that it implies is a stark contrast to Psalm 121:7, which promises that the Lord "shall preserve your soul."

Webster's Dictionary provides at least nine definitions for the word soul, yet none of them adequately capture the completeness of the word used in this verse. In Psalm 121, the soul includes the entire inner person, a combination of the mind, the heart, and the spirit (The Complete Word Study Old Testament [AMG Publishers, 1994], 2341). Other Bible translations use the word life in this verse. The Word of God gives the soul its life-like attributes. The book of Job affirms the soul has desires and is able to complain, mourn, and grieve. In the psalms, we learn that the soul can sing, wait, sorrow, hunger, rest, learn, and be satisfied.

The Lord promises to keep and preserve our souls and indeed our very lives. Christians are most certainly not lost souls. The divine keeper of our souls watches, loves, and protects us twenty-four-seven. 

Read the verses below and answer the following questions:

"The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;

He shall preserve your soul.

The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in

From this time forth, and even forevermore" (Psalm 121:7-8).

Practical Observation

1. What does the Lord do for us?

2. What is God's first act of preservation on our behalf?

The Lord Protects: The word evil comes from a root word that means to spoil by breaking to pieces and is used especially to describe moral depravity. The Greek equivalent is the poneros, from which the English word pornography originates (John Phillips, Exploring Psalms, Volume Two [Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006], 439). "There shall no evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief" (Proverbs 12:21, KJV).

3. According to Psalm 121:8, what is God's second act of preservation?

The Lord Preserves: God guards us physically and spiritually. He declares, "Every living soul belongs to me" (Ezekiel 18:4, ISV), and His desire is that all souls would be preserved from perishing eternally: "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand" (John 10:28, NIV).

4. In your own words, describe God's third act of preservation.

Personal Application

a. Today we learned that the word evil means moral depravity. What are some examples of moral deprivation in our nation and world? Which one has impacted you the most and why?

b. Now lift a prayer based on Matthew 5:16. Ask the Lord to help you shine your light in this dark world for others to see and to glorify His name. "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16, AMPC). 

c. What are some ways you can shine your light on those around you?

d. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Now reread Psalm 121:8. How do these verses provide comfort during difficult seasons in your life?

"From this time forth, and even forevermore" is an amazing conclusion to Psalm 121. The promises in this psalm are available to us now and always, twenty-four-seven, and we can trust in God's promise of forevermore. As 1 John 4:16 reminds us, "We have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him." Respond to that promise with praise. "Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever" (Psalm 136:26, NIV). God loves you. He will love you forever. And His promises endure forever.