Daily Devotional Thursday 31st December 2020
by William Moody
Psalm 121
My Help Comes from the Lord
A Song of Ascents.
121:1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8 The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.(ESV)
As we come to the end of the turbulent year 2020 and look forward to the unknown of 2021, this Psalm brings some wonderful hope and assurance. This is a Psalm of ascent which means it was sung as Pilgrim travelled to Jerusalem for one of the great festivals.
The hills around Jerusalem were dangerous (think of the story of the Good Samaritan), and these Pilgrims express their need for help as they approach these hills (v1).
Their hope comes as they take their eyes off their situation and unto the God they’re going to worship (v2). Focusing on the One who in His great power has made everything brings great confidence.
Here we have wonderful promises of God protecting (v3), of God always watching (v4), of God shielding day and night (v5-6), of God protecting from evil forces (v7) and of God sustaining His people always (v8).
It is by taking time to focus on God, on God’s promises and on God’s caring nature, that we can confidently face the future. God’s promises are not about not facing challenging days, but that on the journey to the New Jerusalem of Heaven, He will keep those who trust in Him.
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