When I was a boy, my family’s home was broken into three times. Valuables were stolen, memories gone. We realized how unsafe and unprotected we truly were. After the third time, my father decided that this would never happen again. He began to turn our
little house into a fortress. For starters, he built a huge gate surrounding our yard with small sharp spikes on top. It stayed constantly locked so the only entrance was by climbing over this fence. If a would be intruder made it over the fence, my father
purchased the most violent dog I’ve ever known, a chow he named Scrappy (if that name doesn’t tell you enough)! This dog was trained to be mean, and he did his job well. If somehow a would be intruder made it past the fence and Scrappy, he placed big strong iron bars over the all the windows and several deadlocks upon the doors. This would take hours for even the best burglar. But if somehow one made it over the fence, past Scrappy, through the bars, and past the deadlocks, my father had a vast assortment of weaponry and was well equipped to fill any would be intruder with his ample supply of ammunition. Some might have looked at all that my father did and said, “He has gone
too far.” However my father was serious about protecting his children. I’d like you to know this morning that our Heavenly Father is serious about protecting His children.
All of us long to feel safe. We want to know that we are protected from danger. We want policemen protecting our streets so we will feel protected at home. The restaurants we attend have safety inspections so we will feel protected when we eat. The cars we drive have to meet safety standards so we will feel protected in case we are in an accident. We want to feel protected from foreign invaders so we emphasize the importance of a strong defense. But where does our safety really come from? Does it
come from our policemen, inspectors, or a strong national defense? Let us read in the Word of God the answer to this question. [Read text here.]
In our text this morning, we read a Psalm that Israelites would often sing while making their yearly pilgrimage to worship in the temple in Jerusalem. For many, this was a long and treacherous trip. The miles were long and the traveler was vulnerable. There were dangers that awaited them on many fronts. They were many things that could go wrong, many bad things that could happen. They had no interstates on which
to travel or DMV to call on their cell phones if they were in trouble. They had reason to fear. They longed to feel the same safety and protection that we still long for in our world today. So, they would sing this song. Psalm 121 was written to remind God’s people as to how He protects them in times in danger. We see this in the first two verses which serve as an introduction. Will I lift up my eyes to the hills, one asks, where the pagan temples could be seen upon the mountain tops? Where does my help come from? The answer is our theme this morning: “My help comes from the Lord”. That word for “help” also signifies protection. God is being pictured as our guardian. The dangers before us may not be the same as the ones they faced, but our unchanging God still protects us from danger. The question then is, how does God protects us from danger? Our text suggests three ways God protects us from danger.
I) First, we see that God protects us from danger by keeping us from falling. (verses 3-4)
For the traveler en route to worship in Jerusalem, there were many dangers. One of those dangers was that of falling. When verse three says that “He will not allow your foot to be moved,” that verb often translates “slip”. A person could fall and sprain an
ankle, or break a leg or hip. When was the last time you tried to walk a hundred miles through mountainous territory on a broken ankle? Get the point? For us, this seems petty, but for them, it was a major concern and a very real danger. So God promised his fearful journeymen that He would not “let their foot be moved”. This doesn’t mean that God forbids us from sinning. It doesn’t mean we won’t have to face sometimes dreadful consequences for our actions. It does mean that God nourishes us, not only through the
harm that others would bring upon us, but even the harm we might bring upon ourselves.
My wife and I recently visited with a couple who were the proud parents of a baby boy, just over a year old. As soon as we entered their home, we noticed that everything about this house was dedicated to protecting their baby. There were plastic plugs in the
electrical outlets to keep the baby from seeing what happens when he places his little fingers in them. When they opened their pantry door, there was a small plastic “baby gate” nailed into place, keeping the baby from getting to items that might be harmful for
a small child. When you tried to open their cabinet doors, there were small hooks in place to keep the baby from being able to open those doors and reach more harmful things. Finally, we drove somewhere with this couple and noticed they had a special baby seat to buckle him in, in case he would try to move about. We couldn’t roll down the windows because they were “child proof”, in case the baby tried to reach through
them and become hurt. When we arrived at our destination, we couldn’t open the car doors because they had “child proof” locks that only the driver could unlock. Everywhere you looked, everything about their lives was dedicated, not only to protecting the baby from others, but from protecting the baby from himself. So our Heavenly Father protects us not only from evil in this world around us, but even from
ourselves.
How is God able to do this? Verse four says God will neither “slumber nor sleep”. When a person is asleep, they are unconscious, unaware of what is going on around them. Many of the pagans in Old Testament days believed that their false gods occasionally slept and had to be awakened. But this is not so with God. Because He never sleeps nor slumbers, He is aware of every step you take in your life, and is able to
nourish you when your foot would “slip”. He can do this because He is a full time God. Jude 24 says that our Lord “is able to keep you from falling.” Those whom God saves, He also sustains.
My friend, God knows our every weakness, every failure in life, and still He wants to use us. He knows how grouchy we can be in the mornings, the things we utter while fighting traffic, our lack of patience...He knows the fears we harbor and every dumb
thing we have ever done. Yet, in spite of all of these things He say to us “take up your cross and follow me!” You do not have to say, as many have said to me, “I have so little to give God. I have so many failures and weaknesses. What if I fail? What if I fall?”
When you feel inadequate, God is more than adequate through you. Trust Him with your every step, follow wherever He leads, and know that “He will not let your foot be moved.”
Not only does God protect us by keeping us from falling, but by...
II) Sheltering us from circumstances. (verses 5-6)
Not only did the traveler have to fear the possibility of being incapacitated by slipping
or falling, but there was another danger. This was the danger posed by their circumstances. Verse five says God is our “keeper”. That word in its Hebrew context
means “to watch, preserve, support, aid or...keep guard.” What does God guard us from here? The sun and the moon. For the traveler, sun stroke was a dangerous reality. Many also believed that the beams reflecting off the moon could be deadly as well. These were
the circumstances in which they had to travel. Thus, God is “your shade at your right hand.” He is shade in that He gives relief from the heat of the sun and moon. He is at our “right hand” as that was a symbol of reliability. Just as God sheltered them from
their circumstances, He shelters us from ours as well.
Some time ago I read a fascinating story in National Geographic magazine. An explorer had made a tremendous accomplishment. He managed, for the first time in history, to record on videotape the birth of a panda cub in the wild. This was amazing, in part, because of how violent the mother panda bear can be when intruders are near their young. The newborn cub was no larger than a gerbil. He could fit in the palm of your hand. The most amazing thing happened after this cub was born. In order to protect the cub from the elements, and to give the cub an opportunity to grow sheltered from the dangers of the outside world, she spread her enormous body across this tiny cub
and did not move for twenty-eight days. She did not eat, sleep, or even defecate at all during this time. Her massive presence remained steadily hovering over this tiny being. It has since been discovered that this is a common practice when the panda bear is
protecting her young. So it is with God, as He omnipotent presence hovers over us as a shield from our circumstances in life.
God protects us from our circumstances not only because He is aware, as we saw in our first section, but also because He is always present. The same word which we here see translated “shade” also translates “shadow”. God is like our shadow. Your shadow
follows you every moment of the day. There is virtually nowhere to go to escape it. In fact, the only way to hide it from view is to escape the light of day and to retreat to the darkness. When you are walking in the light, the shadow is clearly seen, walking with you, wherever you go. God has promised us “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” If God is there, there is nothing in our circumstances that should cause us to fear, for He is Lord over them.
What are the circumstances in which life finds you now? What are the circumstances that are troubling you? Perhaps the circumstances of your job is difficult and you are struggling to be a good steward in the workplace. Perhaps the circumstances of your
family life are stressed, and you are struggling to be the husband or wife God called you to be. Perhaps the circumstances of your health are deteriorating and you struggle just to get up each day. Whatever your circumstances may be, God is your “shade at your right
hand.” That means there is nothing about your circumstances that must hinder God’s plan for your life. There is nothing in your circumstances that must rob you of the joy of walking with Christ. You can trust God with your life no matter what your
circumstances may be, knowing that He is Lord over your circumstances and promises that you will not be stricken by them.
God protect us by keeping us from falling, sheltering us from circumstances, and by...
III) Defending us against evil. (verses 7-8)
Verse seven says, “The Lord shall preserve you from all evil.” The word for “evil” signifies the evil intentions other people might have. Possibly the most frightening danger posed to this traveler was not the possibility of falling, or the chance of being
stricken by the heat of the sun. It was the presence of those evil persons who might do them harm. There were bandits and burglars who were anxious to make quick riches at others’ expense. The family heading to worship in Jerusalem could often make a good target for their crime because they were likely to be tithing when they arrived and thus might be loaded with considerable wealth. Not only might they steal your possessions, but wouldn’t think twice about taking your life. This was a real danger. But for the child
of God, they need not fear, for “He shall preserve your soul.” This doesn’t mean that evil will never touch us or hurt us. It means that we will be preserved when those who would devise evil against us enact their evil plans.
A few days ago I had some friends of mine over for a visit who live in a Central American country. I was excited about the opportunity to catch up with what God has been doing in their lives. As I proceeded to get them all a tall glass of water to drink, they reminded me of something. Just as I was not able to drink their water when visiting their country, they were not able to drink mine either. There were chemicals in our water that they were not accustomed to drinking. What I was about to serve them was
potentially harmful. However, this did not need to be a problem. On my counter was a filter. As I ran the water through that filter, all of the chemicals and harmful elements were removed. What came out of that filter was tasteful and healthy for us all. So it is
with God, as He filters all evil that men would serve us. What passes through His almighty hands can only benefit us and serve His almighty purposes.
I wish I could tell you that being a follower of Jesus Christ would make you popular, but it will not. What I can promise is that God will preserve you from the evil that He allows to touch your life. It will not be able to overcome what He intends to do in your
life. Isaiah 54:17 says that “no weapon formed against you shall prosper.” God will render them useless, except to accomplish His will. Luke 10:19 says “nothing shall by any means hurt you.” No evil will hurt or hinder God’s plan for your life. Yes, there will be those who, because of your walk with Christ, will persecute you, attack you, lie about you, and seek to destroy your life. However, the good news is that there is no evil that will touch your life that has not first been filtered through the Almighty hands of God. As the ill intentions of evil men against us pass through God’s hands, God’s protection, and God’s care, what is left can only accomplish His sovereign purpose for us.
How do we respond when evil is devised against us? Jesus makes clear for us what our response should be when men revile us, persecute us, and say all sorts of evil things against us falsely. In Matthew 5:11-12 he tells us “For my sake rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven!” You who know Jesus as Savior and Lord can rejoice because you know that any evil God allows to touch your life, He allows for your ultimate benefit. You can rejoice because you know that the rewards He has for you in return for that evil is great. Yes, we may hurt and we may bleed, but God will be faithful to give to you a joy, that you were counted worthy to suffer for the gospel
of Christ. Are you suffering as evil is devised against you now? Take that evil and make it to God a sacrifice of love. He will use it and He will reward it greatly.
The same assurances of protection and safety He offered to those fearful travelers thousands of years ago, God still offers to us today. In spite of all the defenses we erect, we need God’s protection now more than ever.
If God has promised to protect His children, then we need not fear the dangers this life presents. God’s protective work in our lives will flow from our relationship with Christ. We can trust God to keep us from falling for He sent His Son to walk this earth and He did so without ever falling into the trap of sin. We can trust God to shelter us from our
circumstances for we follow a Savior who walked upon the water and calmed the most violent of storms. He controls our circumstances as well. We can trust God to defend us from evil because our Lord suffered at the hands of evil. He suffered even to the point of
death upon the cross...yet he rose again! If we are to successfully complete the journey which we are traveling, we too must trust God to keep us from falling, shelter us from circumstances, and defend us against evil.
Those who sung this Psalm in Biblical days were making a journey. This was no ordinary journey, but a journey to worship and give of themselves to God. Its words would have been meaningless had they not made the commitment to take that first step and go where God was calling them. Can you say you have done this in your life?
Do you want to let God be your guide, yet you are afraid of the dangers the path may pose? God is right there, as close as the mention of His name, and He wants you to know that if you’ll place your trust in Him right now, He’ll keep you, shelter you, and defend
you. Give him your hand, give Him the reigns of your heart right now.
