Day 18 – Encouragement

When I am weary of well doing, I need to remind myself of just who God is. He is not mere man. Man can let us down but God will never let us down.

Fellowship Restored

God created us in His image with a desire to fellowship with Him. Without salvation, we cannot fellowship with God. Prior to salvation, man feels empty within. Man feels as though there is something missing in his life. That is why he is always in pursuit of happiness and joy. He does not find this joy until the fellowship with God is restored.

~Psalm 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

This Psalm is one of my favorites. It reveals to me man’s attempt to seek after God and God’s reward for doing so.

The Psalmist knew that his God could help him with anything. This verse reminded me of when we were fighting as children saying, “My Dad is bigger than your Dad!” David says His God is the Creator of the universe and will surely help him!

No Doubt

~Psalm 121:2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

It is one thing to believe in God but quite another to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God will help you.

How does God help us? As I meditated on this Psalm, I realized that the Father helps us in every aspect of our lives:

~Psalm 121:3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

Since God never sleeps, we can be assured that God will assist us in our spiritual walk if we allow Him. That is the most important thing for a believer. When we are walking with the Lord, all things are “right” in life. Even the hurdles are easy because He is guiding.

~Psalm 121:4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

It’s as if the Psalmist wanted to emphasize this point. God is not human that He tires and needs to take a nap. He is always standing watch over us. What comfort! Not only is God watching over us, but He is the same God that has cared for Israel all these thousands of years! It almost seems like a resume to me!

~Psalm 121:5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.

Not only is this the God who cares for Israel, but He is our keeper! When things get “hot” in life with struggles and cares, our God will provide us with the same kind of care as He promised in Psalm 23 as our Shepherd! What a blessing this is to me!

~Psalm 121:6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

Our Heavenly Father, the Creator of the sun and moon, will not allow us to be defeated – both day and night! We are His children – born into His family through the precious blood of His Son, Jesus Christ! We have a promise that our Heavenly Father is faithfully watching over us!

~Psalm 121:7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
~Psalm 121:8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

The best thing ever is to know that our Heavenly Father has our salvation preserved for all time. The born again believer does not need to worry about his salvation because it is not in the hands of a mere man. Our salvation is in the hands of the God who never sleeps, my friend! Who can take it away from God?

No matter where we go in life, we can rest assured that the Father is right there with us preserving every step. The steps we take (as in verse 3) are watched over by God. He monitors our lives and is way ahead of us. He knows where we are going and He knows what lies ahead. We do not need to worry because He will guide us. When we are in sweet fellowship with God and we stay in tune with Him through His Word, we are going to be protected.

Fellowship Preserved

I am not saying that we will never go through trials. It is through trials that we are shaped into the vessel that God can use. What I am saying is that God will protect us and surround us with His love as we go through the trial. What blessing is that? The weary Christian can rest assured that the Creator of the Universe, the God of Israel, is the same God that will walk along side of him. This same God is the One who loves you and will care for you in those difficult times!