Psalm 127:1
Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
Yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent. May we always mindfully prepare the way for the return of our King, Jesus Christ.
The Psalms were written to God’s chosen people, the Israelites, but all of Scripture paves the way for understanding the agape love of God for those who place their trust in Him alone.
Psalm 121:1-8
I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 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.
In order to receive the salvation God offers us in Jesus we need to believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who love Him.Carla
The structure of the poem is: (1) an affirmation that help is from God (verses 1, 2); (2) a word of praise to God, who does not slumber (verses 3, 4); (3) a word of praise to God who keeps His people (verses 5, 6); (4) an affirmation that God will protect His people during their journeys (vv. 7, 8).
He will not allow your foot to be moved is an image of stability. In the Old Testament, losing one’s footing is an expression for disaster.
He who protects you will not slumber. The word shamar (“keep”) is used six times in the psalm with the sense of guarding. Here, God is a nighttime guard who does not doze off.
He will not slumber and he will not sleep. The psalmist amplifies his description of God’s protection.
Yahweh is your shade. Shade is usually a positive image of protection in the Old Testament, and it portrays enveloping safety and refreshment from the heat.
At your right hand is a position of honor and influence.
The sun will not strike you by day In the harsh climate of the ancient Near East, shade from the heat could be the difference between life and death. The psalmist transforms this reality into an image of total protection.
The moon by night the psalmist envisions day-and-night protection. Unlike many gods of the ancient Near East who were believed to descend to the underworld at night, Yahweh is constantly available and vigilant.
Your going out and your coming in. Yahweh’s protection moves with the psalmist; Yahweh is not just a hideout, but a bodyguard. Faithlife Study Bible.
The words lift up my eyes dramatically picture a traveler approaching the city of Jerusalem. On first sight of the city walls and the temple, the singer asks rhetorically where help is to be found. The answer is the strong affirmation: My help comes from the Lord. The NKJV Study Bible
Psalm 41:2
The LORD will preserve him and keep him alive,
And he will be blessed on the earth;
You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.
Deuteronomy 28:6
“Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
Isaiah 49:10
They shall neither hunger nor thirst,
Neither heat nor sun shall strike them;
For He who has mercy on them will lead them,
Even by the springs of water He will guide them.
Psalm 115:15
May you be blessed by the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth
There is something potent in our need to confine, conscript, and control, as if we can only make a difference when we have our act together.
But here’s the deal: Awake, we find—and embrace, and give from—our real self.
Awakening is always the intrusion of the greater meaning into the present moment.”
So yes. In this moment, this Terry is enough.
I need to let you know that I may get scared (afraid of being misunderstood, or unseen, or unheard, or of being dispensable), but that will not stop me from bringing my whole soft heart to this day.
And the freedom to ask, “I was wondering if you would walk with me?” “Sabbath Moments”
Isaiah 7:14 (ESV) "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
…the living God prophesied through Isaiah that He would dwell among humans even in our messy, unclean state. Not only did God desire to be with us, but He wanted to stay with us.
Centuries after Isaiah's prophecy, a young virgin named Mary miraculously birthed Jesus, our Immanuel. She presumably experienced scorn from society as a not-yet-wed pregnant woman. She probably felt lonely. But God in His kindness sent the angel Gabriel to bring hope with words similar to Isaiah's: "O favored one, the Lord is with you!" (Luke 1:28).
God doesn't need to be with us. He could rule from afar through His sovereign will. Yet God chose us before the foundation of the world to be His family (Ephesians 1:4), and He wants to personally commune with His children.
This Advent season and every day, Christ is our constant companion. May we cherish His nearness and allow His love to redeem any loneliness we feel. His gracious friendship is everlasting, remaining steady through trials and transitions. He says, "I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). First5
