“The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. 8 The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.” Psalm 121:5-8 NKJV
The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. 6 The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. 7 The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. 8 The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.” Psalm 121:5-8 NLT
Lord our shade,
Our keeper who watches over us. I need to put the two halves of this Psalm together in my memory because this second half is about Your help when we lift our eyes to You! In the Psalmist day the right hand side was vulnerable in times of battle because the shield was held on the left. (Apologies to left handed people – who are picked out for special mention in Judges 20:16, 1 Chronicles 12:2 for their expertise!) You shade us from harm in our vulnerabilities. We all have more vulnerable areas in our lives. They are often because we have been hurt before where we are more sensitive.
The sun can burn as the Psalmist would know. Alas, we do not have that problem here at present but the climate is something we need help with. And the moon may not smite us, but fears are often worse in the night!
Remind us that You will keep our soul and watch over our life inwardly and outwardly. Yes, You will preserve our going out and coming in. Not to nit pick, critique and make us try harder, but as Spurgeon beautifully explained, “Our soul is kept from the dominion of sin, the infection of error, the crush of despondency, the puffing up of pride; kept from the world, the flesh and the devil; kept for holier and greater things; kept in the love of God; kept unto the eternal kingdom and glory.”
In the NKJV verses 7 and 8, we read three times that You will preserve us. So it sinks in. You will preserve our lives. You were at our birth and will be at our end. We are encouraged by the Psalmist and Adoniram Judson (A great missionary to Burma) who said, “He has not led me so tenderly thus far to forsake me at the very gate of heaven.”
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Lord our keeper,
For all our family, friends and neighbours. Hear and answer their prayers and hopes.
For our church fellowships, ministers, officials, congregations. Keep us loving all who come in through the doors.
For King Charles, the Queen and the royal family as they seek to serve the nation.
For our government and the decisions they make amidst a world of turmoil.
For Gaza and all areas around and their neighbours. The Read Sea and the trouble there.
For Ukraine a withdrawal of Russian troops. Lead them to peace and end to oppression.
For all areas where there is war, military oppression and civil war. Sudan, the Middle East, Myanmar, Afghanistan, North Korea, Nigeria . . .
For those who live in remote mountainous places who have suffered earthquakes, poor harvests or live on the edge of poverty. For their children and the charities who seek to educate and help them.
For our local community, neighbours, doctors, dentists, police and schools.
For those who work in hospices, who care for people at home and who provide respite.
For ourselves, to hear and see the answer to prayers we have for ourself and for family. To be encouraged.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Friday 12th January 2024
Beautiful Celtic music. There is quite a long introduction but it is worth the wait. . .
I lift up my eyes to the hills, the hills
From where will my help come?
My help it comes from the Lord, My God
Who made the heavens and earth.
Chorus:
He will not let your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
He who watches over Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord God is your keeper and
The shade at your right hand.
The sun won’t strike you by the day,
Nor the moon by the night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
And He will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out
And keep your coming in.