I have often heard or known of Christians who can recite Psalm 121, among other popular Psalms and verses of Scripture, by rote. I have also come across parents insisting that the children read the Psalm over and over again until they can say it without reading. This method is good and can be a stepping stone to increase in faith – for faith comes from hearing and hearing the word of Christ (Rom. 10:17) – especially for the Christian who is still new in his relationship with the Lord Jesus. However when practiced by the Christian ‘who by this time should be eating solid food’, it can lose its real intended purpose.
I believe that God was, through the inspired Psalmist wanting to show the reader who He really is and how dependable He can be. For after the Psalmist declares: My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth, He describes the One who is his Helper. Here are a few points that may help you see the glory of God.
- Maker of heaven and earth: Our Helper is the all powerful Maker of all things, through whom all things exist and hold together. Though He is invisible to our natural eyes, we need to have our eyes opened to see this Person as a real, living and all powerful One with whom nothing is difficult.
- He will not allow your foot to slip: Our Helper’s protection over us is unparalleled. In another Psalm He says, “The steps of a man are established by the Lord and He delights in his way. When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.” (Psalm 37:23, 24)Oh Lord! Help us to see how You are constantly and caringly watching over us (Psa. 34:15), always interested in our well-being (Jer. 29:11). You are the One who upholds us with Thy righteous right hand (Isa. 41:10).
- He who keeps you will not slumber: What a reassuring thought that the God whom my eyes seek is alert and caringly watchful over me, 24x7 / 365 days for all the days of my life. “In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for Thou alone O Lord dost make me dwell in safety.” (Psa. 4:8)
- Keeper, Protector and Guard: This is what the Lord, the Lord God of Israel so eagerly desires to be. Our shade, our shelter, our fortress. “O dwell in the shelter of the Most High, O my soul; let Him be the place you constantly reside, the One in whom you run and hide completely – for then, thou will abide in the shadow of the Almighty (Psa. 91:1).”
The purpose of this writing is to encourage each who reads this - Seek the Person behind these assuring promises. Cling to Him with all of your being. Let Him reveal to you His glory - the awesome glory in being your Omnipotent, Caring, Faithful Maker. When you see Him, and not what He does, your faith is built on a solid foundation.
While I have used Psalm 121 as an example to illustrate the glory of the One behind the Psalm, the same is true for all other portions of Scripture. Throughout the Bible, God reveals Himself and His attributes in different ways. The time-setting may be of another era, the situation different, but the immutable God we serve is the same.
This was the difference between Moses and the unbelieving sons of Israel who moved in the desert. One saw His acts, the other understood His ways (Psa. 103:7). This was what separated the following crowd from the Roman centurion, the one of whom it is written, Jesus “marveled” – one saw the miracles and works of Jesus the Messiah, the other saw His authority, power and glory (Lk. 7:2 - 9).
Let us ask God to, through the scripture, reveal the beauty and glory of God that we may depend on, cling to, love dearly and worship completely Him who has called us unto Himself. We will find great delight in the relationship with the Person we relate to.
