Tuesday, July 5, 2011

I lift up my eyes.....Psalm 120

We are half way through our reading of the Bible in 2011.  Congratulations to all who are making the journey.  I can only imagine the blessings that your are recieving as you invest yourselves in this sacred task.  The next Psalms (120-134) are called Psalms of Ascent.  They were pilgrim psalms sang by those who were making their journey to the Temple.  Some were written by David, some by Solomon and others were anonymously written; perhaps by temple Priests or scribes.

Imagine a traveler in a desolate land, who could he trust?  Who would help him if need arose?  It is Jehovah-Jireh, he is our provider!  Ultimately, it is God and God alone who can make a way for us in every situation and circumstance.  There are many famous chapters in the Bible; among them the Shepherd's Psalm (23), the love chapter (1 Corinthians 13) and this the traveler's Psalm.  It was among my Grandmother Hackett's favorite passages.

She was a young mother during the depression, raising 5 children.  The family farm was lost and Granddad made a living for the family by tenant farming, farming for shares.  If you listen to the tales of my Dad and my Aunts, there was always enough, but not much in excess.  They tell stories of hunting and trapping to supplement and support the family.  I can imagine Grandma sitting in her rocker on the front porch of their simple farmhouse.  She is holding her Bible in her lap in the closing moments of the day, perhaps watching God's handiwork in a North Missouri sunset.  She watches her children as they go about their chores, waiting for Granddad to return from his labor.  The table is set with the provisions that are hers to prepare and she utters the prayer of sojourners from before the days of the Christ,
"I lift up my eyes to the hills....where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.  He will not let your foot slip...he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you...The Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm...He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."

How comforting it is to know that we have a God who cares so intimately for us and in whom we can trust in all the days of our lives.  Prayer God's best for you this week.

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