Saturday, February 11, 2012

A Song of Ascents: Psalm 121 "Your Guardian God"


"Songs of Ascent" = ("Degrees") steps, stages, gradations, or ascending up a mountain, climbing"

The spiritual life is one of progress.

Another step in the progress of the spiritual life is to understand where our help comes from.



Psalm 121

I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains?
   No, my strength comes from God,
      who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.

 3-4 He won't let you stumble,
      your Guardian God won't fall asleep.
   Not on your life! Israel's
      Guardian will never doze or sleep.

 5-6 God's your Guardian,
      right at your side to protect you—
   Shielding you from sunstroke,
      sheltering you from moonstroke.

 7-8 God guards you from every evil,
      he guards your very life.
   He guards you when you leave and when you return,
      he guards you now, he guards you always.
(The Message)



Psalm 121 

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.
(New King James Version)


 Listen to this great song based on Psalm 121
My Help Comes From The Lord by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir 


Theme:  Keep (watch, guard)

Key thought:  My help comes from the Lord

Key verse:  “The Lord will keep you from all harm” (:7)

How is God revealed?  God is our Guardian God.  He helps us, watches over us, shades, keeps us, watches over us, protects us.



Look what the Lord will NOT do:

            :3  He will not allow your foot to be moved;
                :4  He will not slumber
                :4  He will not sleep

Look what the Lord IS and what He WILL do:

:5  Is your keeper
     Is your shade at your right hand (protecting from sun and moon)
:7  Will preserve you from all evil
     Will preserve your soul
:8  Will preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore




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