By Meredith Lockery
Read Psalm 121
Psalm 121 is a beautiful poem that reminds us of something we somehow keep forgetting—that we do not have to live in fear, because we have a God who keeps us. This poem is part of the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134), a group of songs believed to have been sung by Jewish pilgrims as they travelled to worship in the temple in Jerusalem. It’s a passage that offers comfort because of who God is and what he’s done. Wherever I have been around the world, there are always mountains that remind me of this Psalm. They remind me of the assurance of God’s care for me.
Do you need help today? Then this psalm is for you. Psalm 121 asks us to think about three big truths about God and his care for us.
- Who is this God who keeps us? (1-2)
- What does keep even mean? (3-6)
- Is it true that he keeps us from all evil? (7-8)
The promise of the psalm is not that we shall never stub our toes but that no injury, no illness, no accident, no distress will have evil power over us, that is, will be able to separate us from God’s purposes in us.
Eugene Peterson