Scripture – Psalm 121 NRSVUE
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
from where will my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 He who keeps Israel
will 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 will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time on and forevermore.
From Rev. Heather Leffler
As I was talking to Tyler Dawe about our churches, our United Church and the history of the church, I found myself telling him about the Bible. The Bible is more of a library than a book. In fact there are 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. The books are different kinds of literature – gospels that tell the Good News of Jesus, origin stories that speak of God’s creative love, books of laws and prophets, histories and letters and stories, prayers and poetry.
While we often read Psalms responsively in church, I didn’t give them a lot of thought, except perhaps the familiar words of the 23rd Psalm which bring comfort at funerals. In Clifford, I visited a woman who was mourning the death of her husband and son. She told me how the Psalms let her share her hurt, frustration and anger with God without fear of being judged and offered her comfort and hope. The Psalms gave her words when she had none of her own.
Psalm 121 wraps me like a warm blanket. It is one of the “Songs of Ascents,” likely sung by pilgrims travelling toward Jerusalem. As they journeyed, perhaps through dangerous terrain, they lifted their eyes to the hills and asked, “From where will my help come?” God, who created the heavens and the earth, will be there for us. Whatever is happening in our lives, day and night, we can count on God’s presence with us.
The psalm does not promise that life will be easy or free from hardship. Instead, it promises that we are not alone. The One who keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. The Holy One watches over our going out and our coming in — our beginnings and endings, our work and our rest, our joys and our grief.
Knowing that these words have been bringing people comfort and hope for millennia invites me to trust God with all of my life.
Contemplation and Conversation
What scriptures offer you comfort and hope?
Prayer
You, God, never slumber or sleep.
You watch over our going out and our coming in.
Thank you for being with us no matter what is happening in our lives.
Help us to lift our eyes to you and trust your steady presence. Amen.
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