DEVOTIONAL FROM A WALK THROUGH DAVID’S GARDEN.
A friend was especially blessed by the entry for this date in my book A Walk Through David’s Garden. It is on Psalm 121. I pass it along to you. Enjoy.
November 13
Psalm 121:1-8 A Song of Ascents.
I will lift up my eyes to the hills – from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall 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 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.
Today’s Walk: As one heads to Jerusalem from the Jordan valley, a line of mountains dominates the horizon. The sight of those hills causes the psalmist to draw comfort as he journeys toward God’s city. The theme of this song is easily seen. The Hebrew word for “keep” is used six times which reminds us that Yahweh is the Keeper of His people, both those traveling to Jerusalem and those traversing the pathways of life. Innumerable are the testimonies of saints who have embraced this song in times of fear. When a saintly traveler sees the hills in the distance, he is comforted because he knows God is there. As the One who created and controls all things, God can certainly protect and prosper His child no matter what troubles may befall him. As the roads to Jerusalem were fraught with ditches and cliffs, it would be a great comfort for the traveler to know that God had an eye upon his every step. Unlike human guards who need their rest, God never sleeps. His protection is constant, much like that tall, shady tree that brings relief to those who are traveling beneath the scorching sun. Because God is omniscient, He is able to “preserve you from all evil.” The psalmist notes that this protection takes place during the day and even during the nighttime when hidden dangers lurk at every turn, like the chilling cold and wild animals. The big picture is obvious: God can keep His children in every conceivable circumstance of life. He keeps them at their entering and He keeps them in their exiting. He will keep them in seasons of doubt, and He will keep them in seasons of fear. The hills that stand yonder prove that the Keeper never stops watching. This enables His children to walk in peace and confidence never wavering.
Word of the Day: KEEP - We keep that which is precious to us. Beautiful jewelry is kept in a locked box. Things we treasure the most are called keepsakes. The saint is, of course, precious to God and Yahweh protects His child like a piece of fine china. The saint, of course, draws great comfort from this because God is an all-powerful keeper. He has never lost one of His jewels and never will. Indeed He never sleeps. His eye is always on His child so that no danger can possibly befall him. Yahweh alone is the true Keeper of Israel.