Discover His heart: He watches over us day and night and protects us from harm
Traveling around Europe, whether by car or train, we can’t help but notice the enormous castle fortresses that were built centuries ago usually at the highest point of the city. They were built to hover over the city as a protector from enemies who could advance from any side. Sentries stood guard day and night so that the city would never be hit by a surprise attack and the residents could work and sleep with the knowledge that they were protected. Wouldn’t that be a great solace? Well, we have our security systems, alarms, and law enforcement today that help to keep us safe, but sometimes we forget about our Sentry who is so highly skilled that He even sees the invisible forces that come against us. Move over ADT!
@ Psalm 121
“I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!” (1-2) It certainly does help to look up when we need help, but as the psalmist decided, we need to look a little higher than the mountains. Our help comes from the Lord who made the mountains, the oceans and who made us, but He didn’t just create us and leave us to flounder here on earth. No, He protects us as well.
“He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The Lord himself watches over you!” (3-5) Just like the sentry guarding the city, the Lord watches over us 24/7, but from His vantage point, He sees both the visible and the invisible and is never taken by surprise.
Not only does He watch over us, but He stands with us, “The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life.”(5-7) He stands with us like a shadow covering us from the intense heat of life and the darkness that comes. (Psalm 91:1) The word keeps speaks to His ability to preserve us as we walk through the harm that is all around us.
Sometimes when we’re going through an especially difficult moment, we are tempted to think that God has closed His eyes or stepped away from His Sentry post, but nothing could be further from the truth. God is faithful! “The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.” (8) And as we all know, forever is a very long time.
Moving Forward: So very thankful today for the protection of the Lord. He watches over all my comings and goings and stands with me through the challenges.
Tomorrow @Proverbs 31
Phyllis Benigas 