Psalm 121

Our scripture passage for the year is Psalm 121:

I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!
He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.
The Lord himself watches over you!
The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon at night.
The Lord keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.

We bid farewell to 2020 but we never say goodbye to the possibility of difficulty and hardship. Psalms 120 through 134 are labeled “Songs of Ascent”, most likely sung by worshipers who are headed to Jerusalem for one of the feasts or special observances. It is a Psalm of confidence in our God.

My friends, a simple reminder as we head into 2021. Our help continues to come from the Lord the maker of heaven and earth! A theme in this brief song is that our God watches over us! And know this, whatever comes our way he is not asleep at the wheel and ultimately is our protection. Our Creator God cares about the details of our lives.

This psalm is not telling us that will never encounter hardship for even a cursory reading of Scripture bears that out. It is reminding us that the Lord watches over our lives and is FOR us. Are you trusting in him? May 2021 drive us deeper into a confident trust in our Lord!
My personal prayer for this year is that I continue to lift my eyes above the circumstances and see the one who is seated on heavens throne. We are heading to the new Jerusalem and as we journey together, let’s keep singing this song of confidence!