God Our Maker-Helper-Keeper Twenty-Four-Seven! (Psalm 121) Series

MAKING MUSIC FROM SHARPS AND FLATS IN LIFE

Sermons Based on Selected Psalms

Psalms Sermon XII – Psalm 121

David the shepherd lad who became King of Israel was a music maker. He played a harp – the most popular instrument in Old Testament times. The Book of Psalms is a collection of his compositions inspired by both his life experiences and his majestic moments with the Lord God.

As a sheep herder, the boy David became fascinated with the wonders of the out of doors even as he became familiar with the uniqueness of sheep.

As the one chosen by Samuel to be crowned the next king of Israel, David had no choice but to sharpen his defensive battle skills when Saul threatened his life; he had demonstrated his skills as a shepherd lad when he defended his sheep from the attack of wolves, and when he defended his family by killing their enemy Goliath with one stone fired by his slingshot.

David’s favor with God and the people worsened King Saul’s insanity, making him so blindly jealous that he made David the target of a relentless campaign to destroy the king-to-be.

David won the battle; but, more importantly, he won the hearts of the people because he had won the heart of the Lord God who had chosen him.

As king, David ruled righteously in accordance with God’s will; Israel enjoyed the golden years of their history during David’s reign.

Yet, as a man, David sinned; however, as a sinner, he was aware of his need for God’s forgiveness; as a forgiven child of God, he courageously accepted God’s punishment; as one who suffered the consequence of sinning against God, he also accepted the challenge of rebuilding his life for God.

As a Psalmist, David’s innermost thoughts - expressed in the verses of his poetry - have become the greatest collection of spiritual nuggets the world has ever known.

From a lifetime of positive and negative experiences, David has become our hero for making music out of the sharps and flats in life.

Any musician knows that it takes both to make good music. It takes the positives (the sharps) and the negatives (the flats). Arrange them in such a way that they blend into chords, orchestrate the chords into a harmonious melody, and what you get is a work of art that is pleasing to the ear.

Life is like that. The isolated sound of a sharp or the lonesome sound of a flat does nothing for the spirit. Get it all together in conformity with THE Great Composer’s divine plan for our lives, and what you have is harmonious living that is pleasing not only to God but to others as well.

These devotional messages, based on the Book of Psalms, are intended to draw from David’s orchestration of the sharps and flats in his life to help us make music from the sharps and flats in our own lives. Selah.

Psalm 121 . . .

This is a psalm of the blessed assurance that we are not alone, no matter where we are on our life’s journey – and it does not matter whether we are awake or asleep. God is with us during our loneliest and most fearful moments.

In my daily prayers, I ask God to place His hedge of protection around each of us - wherever we go, as we go to and fro, wherever we are, whoever we are with, and whatever we are doing. I pray that our lives might be lived each day in accordance with His will - in the awareness that his presence surrounds those who trust Him for their security and well-being.

There is a sense of peace in my heart and mind - just believing that the God who can create an entire universe also knows and cares intimately about each of us. We are not alone. God promises to be beside us and to journey with us.

When the psalmist speaks of lifting his eyes to the hills, the image that comes to my mind is that of the Virginia Blue Ridge mountain range known as the Peaks of Otter – which to me is the most beautiful spot on earth.

When my wife and I lived in Roanoke Valley, we spent quite some time visiting that place where we reverenced God, refreshed our innermost being and relaxed our mind and body.

As you can tell, I love to go to the mountains and gaze upon their beauty – especially in autumn when the leaves turn; and the splashes of color are so beautiful that they render me speechless. Words cannot describe the drama of God’s beautiful world – regardless of the season of the year.

In the mountains, a sense of awe and wonder comes over me; there is a feeling of the peace that surpasses understanding; and yes, the majesty of the mountains gives me a sense of safety and security.