Ps 121 is one of the most positive psalms in the whole Bible, exuding confidence and assurance. There are many times, however, when we lack that confidence and assurance and it is important that we do not gloss over such psalms when we are full of doubt and uncertainty. One of the things that is able to sustain us through times of trouble, difficulty and crisis is our knowledge of God’s character. When problems come and life does not go the way we have planned or imagined it should, it’s very easy to succumb to the notion of cause and effect, or to believe that God has withdrawn His blessing or His favour from us. When we face problems and difficulties and feel that we don’t know how to carry on, it’s easier for us to believe that God has abandoned us and left us than to believe He is still Lord, still loves us and is still on our side. But as Chris Russell emphatically declares, ‘You are loved strongly and relentlessly, faithfully and without any reservation. Your God does not watch you undecided, he does not wait to be convinced, the jury is not out. The verdict in Christ is unflinching and irreversible. He is for you. Always. Without hesitation, deviation, but with endless repetition.’ (Russell C. (2012), To Be Delivered in the Event of My Death: Ten Letters Published in the UK by Darton, Longman and Todd, P 166)
Only God can provide salvation for us, and so this psalm points us to the source of true help: ‘My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.’ (Ps 121:2) We need to turn to God for help, not horoscopes or therapists or celebrities. We need to turn to God for help because He is the Maker of heaven and earth; He is the Creator, the One who made us and knows us inside out. We don’t have to go to any substitute for help, because we have free access to God Himself. He never slumbers or sleeps (Ps 121:4) like the false god Baal. (1 Kings 18:27) He is Lord over time itself; He ‘will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.’ (Ps 121:8)
We are not exempt from the trials and problems of life, but God does promise protection and deliverance. Paul reminds the Corinthians ‘God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.’ (1 Cor 10:13, The Message) When ‘life is a mountain that I cannot climb’ (‘Everything I Need’, Kutless) or ‘every moment is more than I can take/ And all of my strength is slipping away.’ (‘Everything I Need’, Kutless), God is able to carry us, hold us and keep our heads afloat! He is the best belay buddy any climber could want!
