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I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 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. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and for evermore.(Psalm 121)
I took our car to be serviced this past Tuesday. It received a brand new dashboard. The model year of my car had a recall to replace dashboards because the sun would make the old ones melt and become super sticky. When I went online to find a "cure" for that I discovered there was a recall for sticky dashboards and it took about a year to order and get a new one, but we did. As Nellie and I were taking it home I saw an old penny on the floor right under the steering wheel and I smiled, picked it up and said, "In God We Trust!" Indeed. I have shared with you the story of a woman going through a difficult time and she asked God for a sign or reminder of God's strength and presence with her during difficult times. And she found a penny, picked it up and read the inscription I quoted above: In God We Trust. From then on she discovered the tougher the day and its challenges, she would find a penny and that would remind her and she was calm. On a day she was facing surgery she prayed for God's presence and help and thought she would find a penny, but did not. She was trying to calm herself on the gurney in the prep area that even though she had not found that heavenly reminder, God was still with her. An orderly came in and asked, "Ma'am, I found a penny right outside the door; is it yours?" Yes, she said, It is mine.
Not everyone needs reminders, but boy does this psalm do the trick for us as we face life and some of life's tough days. The psalmist is said to have been surrounded by enemy armies on the hills around his camp; as far as the eye could see there they were, ready to attack and try to kill him and his men. So, he wrote the famous lines that are the first verses of this powerful psalm. He knew that God was with him and would see him through the challenge of battle. His spirit reminded him, God made heaven and earth and with that same power and strength, God can protect you! He won't even leet your foot be moved and He won't fall asleep or doze off while protecting you. God is your keeper; beyond that God is your shade at your right hand, not even the sun or the moon can do you harm. God is so strong, God can protect you from all evil and God will keep your life. God watches as we go out and as we come in; not just now, but all the time, even forever.
What more of a reminder do we need?
PRAYER: Loving God, speak to my heart and to my fears. As the challenges of this day come my way, let them be chased away by the presence and power of God. I claim the words of this psalm for my life, and I claim a victory in all that is before me; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
