God Guards Your Life

Help, I need somebody.

Help, not just anybody.

Help, you know I need someone.

Help.

You may recognize this popular Beatles song

that goes on to describe this man

who lived this formerly very self-assured life

and he's come to the realization

that he really needs somebody's help.

Well, help me is the repeated cry of the Christian.

If we were to compare the Christian life to a race,

help me would be written on the starting line.

By grace, each one of us who is in Jesus Christ

has come to recognize his or her own sin

and the offense that this sin is to a holy God.

And in that recognition,

we recognize that God must send help.

The cry of the condemned who is aware of need,

help, I need somebody.

Help, not just anybody.

Help, you know I need someone.

Help.

help.

And our God kindly replies,

help is on the way.

I'm sending somebody,

not just anybody.

I know you need someone.

I give you my son.

God has answered the cry of the guilty

who cry out to him for help

by sending Jesus Christ

to die in our place for our sin.

And he offers us life eternal in exchange.

But we don't just enter the race by saying,

help me,

and then run it in our own strength.

Help me remains our plea

while we live in this fallen world.

While we struggle through this life

that many times,

in many ways,

is hard,

and difficult,

and sorrowful,

and painful.

And that's why we're going to be in the Psalms

for the next several weeks this summer.

Because the Psalms are full of real people

with real problems

crying out for help.

There's Psalms

that describe a lack,

whether it's a lack of safety,

or a lack of nourishment,

or a lack of wisdom

and understanding.

There's Psalms

that address the problems

of our hearts,

whether it's anger,

or fear,

or jealousy,

and shame.

And there's Psalms

that speak of great trials

and tribulations,

whether it's suffering,

or enemies pressing in around,

or the fallout

and consequences of sin.

In part,

the Psalms teach us

that it's okay to cry for help.

In fact,

we must cry out for help.

We cannot run this race alone.

And the Psalms aim us

to the one who can help us.

Helps us aim our emotions

and our fears

and our heartache

at the one who can truly help,

the one true living God.

We all can grow in this

asking for help

and turning to God

in our need.

And so we get to learn

and grow together

in the Psalms this summer.

And there's really

no better way

to set out

on this journey

of learning

how to ask for help

and learning

who to turn to

in the midst

of our need

than by opening

to Psalm 121.

If you haven't opened yet,

I invite you to do so.

Follow along.

The reason why

this Psalm is so helpful

as we kind of launch

into this

Psalms for the Helping series

is because it's going to

ground us in the truth

that God

is our help.

To say it more specifically,

Psalm 121

teaches us this,

that the Lord

will guard

every detail

of your life

day by day

forever.

The Lord

will guard

every single

last detail

of your life

day after day

after day

after day

after day

forever.

We're going to walk

through this Psalm

this morning.

We're going to

take a look

at the four parts.

Technical name

is four stanzas.

There's four stanzas

of this Psalm

and we're just going to

move through them

one by one

and they sort of

build on each other

but all of them

aim at this main idea

that the Lord

will guard

every detail

of your life

day after day

forever.

So look with me

in verses 1 and 2.

The first stanza

of this Psalm.

I lift up my eyes

to the hills.

From where does

my help come?

My help comes

from the Lord

who made heaven

and earth.

As the psalmist

gazes up

into the mountains

this question

bubbles up.

Where is my help

to come?

There's something

about seeing

these mountains

that prompts

this question

and I think

it's because

these mountains

represent some

sort of danger

that he looks

at these mountains

and fear starts

bubbling up.

Where's my help?

Perhaps he's

journeying through

some rough terrain

in the middle

of summer

in the desert

heat of Israel.

Perhaps he's

on a route

that's known

to have violent

robbers and thieves

who would threaten

his life

and his possessions.

Maybe even

these physical mountains

that he's looking

all around at

maybe they represent

other fears

and dangers

in his life

that have nothing

to do with

literal physical mountains.

Now the psalmist

is in danger

of becoming overwhelmed,

discouraged,

which is much worse

than simply

what these mountains

represent.

but we see

in verse 2,

the psalmist

aims his confidence

in the Lord.

My help

comes from

the Lord

who made heaven

and who made earth.

Essentially,

he says,

my helper

made these mountains

and everything else

for that matter.

And great confidence

rises from his heart

that's higher

than the mountains

that surround him.

when the psalmist

remembers the power

of the God

who can say,

let there be light

and there was light.

The one who

has the power

to create all things

out of nothing.

That's where

the psalmist's help

is found.

But notice

in verse 2 as well

that it's not just

the awesome power

of the creator God

that is in view

in verse 2.

That all caps

Lord

is important.

This is the covenant

name of the God

of Israel.

The one who keeps

steadfast love

toward all of his people

forever.

This Israelite songwriter

is placing his confidence

in the covenant

keeping God

of Israel.

The one who delivered

his people

from slavery in Egypt.

The one who

brought his people

through the wilderness

into the promised land

of Canaan.

The one who promised

to send a forever king

to sit on the throne

of David.

The one who has

always been faithful

to his promises.

This psalm's melody

is one of a sweet

relationship

and intimacy

between this psalmist

and the one true

living God.

The one who

keeps faith forever.

He knows his Lord

intimately

and he knows

that his God

is his help.

Well this covenant

name Lord

or in the Hebrew

Yahweh

will show up

four more times

in this psalm.

Twice in verse 5

and then once

in verse 7

and once in verse 8.

The psalmist

is confidently

declaring that

my help

comes from

the true God.

It's not

my smarts

or my money

or my strength.

It's not some

wooden idol

that I've carved

myself.

but the God

of the universe

who claims Israel

as his own possession.

He is

my source

of help.

And it bears

mentioning

that the kind

of writing

that we're looking

at adds

to this confidence.

We're not looking

at an academic

textbook

or a comic

strip in a newspaper.

We're looking

at a musical

composition.

By its nature

music affects

our emotions

and our inner

person.

It's a way

of communicating

that speaks

to the heart

as much

if not more

so than it

speaks to our

minds.

The confidence

the psalmist

has is celebratory

and joyful.

It's melodious

confidence.

He's so confident

in his source

of help

that he writes

a song

so he can

sing about it.

Hopefully

we all

know something

of this

right?

We've been

singing already

this morning

and

I'm guessing

that there's

certain songs

based on certain

experiences

that you've had

in your life

that when you

hear them

you sing them

in a certain

way.

You sing them

with more

emotion

and more tears

and more faith

than other songs

because they speak

to where you've

been.

It's one of

the reasons

why we

sing so many

songs here

about the

cross of Jesus.

We're very

aware of the

ugliness of our

sin, our

rebellious

natures that

deserve God's

wrath

and instead

God sends

Jesus to

rescue and

forgive us.

We sing

loud and we

sing full

because we're

grateful.

The psalmist

declares

my help is

from the

Lord and

invites us

to agree

and to

lift our

voices with

his in

celebration.

So that's

the first

stanza of

our psalm,

the confidence

in the

Lord.

If you look

at verses

three and

four, we

have the

second part

of the

psalm.

The psalmist

is going to

give reason

for his

confidence.

The reason

is the

Lord doesn't

sleep.

first thing

we need to

see is that

there's a

shift in

person.

Verses

one and

two, I

lift my

eyes, where

does my

help come

from?

My help

comes from

the Lord.

Now in

verses three

to the end

of the

psalm, it's

he will not

let your

foot be

moved.

He who

keeps you

will not

slumber.

So maybe

there's a new

voice speaking

in these

verses.

It could be

that the

first person

is kind

of despairing

and his

friend starts

speaking and

no, no, no,

no, no, your

foot won't be

moved.

Or it might

be the

person who's

speaking in

verse one

and two

says, I

testify to

these things

and now

friend, let

me tell

you what

my God

will do

for you.

Either

case, this

psalm invites

us to speak

this not just

for ourselves

but for each

other.

We need to

remember this.

When we see

people struggling,

we need to

remember saying,

no, no, God

will not let

your foot be

moved.

If God

be for you, no

man be against

you.

God will

guard your

life, brother.

God will

guard your

life, sister.

We have

reason to

be confident

because he

doesn't sleep.

He doesn't

slumber.

I just love

how verse

three starts,

he will not

let your foot

be moved.

A while

back, the

family went

to the

Racine Zoo.

Right in

the middle

of the park,

there's this

large rock

structure that's

been built

and pretty

much in any

day or night,

on top of it

sits this huge

mountain goat

just gazing over

the entire

park.

That goat

needs to be

sure-footed

to make it

up that

rocky ledge.

And he

is.

By his

nature, this

mountain goat

is sure-footed.

Psalm 121

says that the

Christian is

sure-footed by

grace.

Because notice,

it's not because

we've set

ourselves up for

success, we

don't have good

traction on our

new hiking boots

or whatever else,

it's the Lord

will not let

your foot be

moved.

Our sure-footedness

is by grace

because God

has set us on

a solid rock

and we will

never be moved.

He who placed

you there

doesn't slumber.

This word slumber

is interesting.

It kind of

signifies dozing

off or kind of

that mid-afternoon

energy lull when

your eyes start

kind of getting

a little heavy.

God doesn't

catnap.

He has no need

of kind of a

mid-afternoon

caffeine jolt

to get him

back alive.

That word's

important because

then in verse 4,

notice that the

psalmist expands

it, he who keeps

Israel will neither

slumber nor sleep.

So now we're

talking about that

deep REM cycle,

that REM cycle

sleep, the

nighttime sleep

that's extended

to recharge for

the next day.

God doesn't

catnap and God

has no need of

sleeping at night.

He's always awake

and perfectly awake,

completely awake.

He doesn't slumber

or sleep.

We can have

confidence.

There's good reason

to trust him

because he's always

on the watch.

God doesn't sleep.

He doesn't sleep.

He doesn't sleep.

He doesn't sleep.

We could spend all

day and all night

in awe of this,

but we doze off

before we fully

comprehend it.

But in verse 4,

we see something else

as well.

That this is the one

place in the psalm

where it's not an

I or a you

singular.

It's not an individual

being spoken of.

In verse 4,

the psalmist zooms

out and says,

Behold,

he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber

nor sleep.

We could say a few

different things

about this,

but what I want to

call to your mind

is if you're ever

in the position

of thinking yourself

too insignificant,

not important enough

for God to actually

care about your life

and your problems

and your concerns

and your fears.

This verse helps us.

It shows us that

things are much bigger

than just individuals.

The God who is

looking over individuals

is looking over individuals

because they're part

of his people.

It's a huge community

of people,

and because God is faithful

to his community,

to his family,

he's faithful to the

individuals that make up

that family.

We have good reason

to believe that he will

guard our lives

in Christ.

That's the second stanza.

The third stanza

gives us this beautiful image

of the Lord's care,

and it's not a,

the Lord will do X,

Y, and Z,

and that's how he will

do this,

but it gives us

this common image,

this common experience

that we can understand

and say,

God keeps you like that.

So listen for it.

First verse five,

the Lord is your keeper.

This is now the third use

of this word keeper.

It showed up twice before

in verse three

and in verse four

as he who keeps you

and he who keeps Israel.

So since it shows up

three times already

and will show up

three more times

in verses seven and eight,

we should probably

try and understand it

a little bit.

This word keep

speaks of paying

careful attention

to something.

So if you're looking on

with an NIV Bible,

you might see

that he will watch over you.

I think that's a helpful

way to understand this,

that it's the gaze of God

on his people,

but in a way

that's looking out for them,

that's protecting them,

that's keeping them

from all evil and harm.

The idea of guarding

and protecting

is caught up in this word.

The Lord is your keeper,

Christian,

and it's beautiful

because this line

of verse five

is at the very center

of the psalm.

I read something

that said there's something

like 58 syllables

before this statement

and 58 syllables

after this statement.

This is really

the center

of the words,

but not just

the center of the words,

this is the center

of the whole purpose

of the psalm.

It's the theological center.

The Lord is your keeper.

It's part of who God is

towards his people.

He protects,

he guards,

he upholds

those who are his.

And to drive this point home,

the psalmist tells people

who are living

in a desert climate

that the Lord

guards them

like shade

in a heat wave.

That's how

he guards

his people.

Even in Wisconsin,

we get the imagery,

right?

Summer is here.

Maybe in March,

we wouldn't want

to be sitting

in the shade,

but in July,

you better find

some shade.

You're going to get burned.

You're going to get weary

and start sweating

and need water

and other things.

Shade protects us

from the heat.

Doesn't mean

that it's not hot.

Plenty of life

that's uncomfortable

and difficult.

But this says

that through the midst

of it all,

God is like a shade

in a heat wave

on the right hand

of his people.

He preserves us.

He supplies

what we need.

In verse 6,

the imagery continues,

the sun shall not

strike you by day

nor the moon

by night.

Notice the

kind of parallel

symbols.

Sun and moon,

day and night.

Maybe you see shade

and a heat wave

and you go,

okay,

that's great,

but God,

what if my problems

are all after dark?

I don't need shade

at that point.

I need light

or illumination

or something like that.

Sun and moon,

day and night.

The psalmist says,

there is not a single

minute of any single

day that goes by

that God is not

your protector.

Shade on your right hand.

He is your guard

24-7.

He will keep watch

over you.

He's your keeper.

There's one last stanza,

verses 7 and 8,

for us to look at.

So far,

we've seen the psalmist

declaring his confidence

in his source of help.

We've seen the reason

why we too

should be confident

in the Lord's help.

We've seen this imagery

that the Lord's help

is like shade

on the right hand.

And finally,

we see that

verses 7 and 8

are going to tell us

about how far reaching

the scope

of the Lord's care.

And notice how far

it goes.

Every detail,

now,

and forever.

The Lord will keep you

from all evil.

He will keep your life.

The Lord will keep

your going out

and your coming in

from this time forth

and forevermore.

He will keep your life,

verse 7 tells us.

From all evil,

you're going out

and you're coming in,

now and always.

He will keep your life.

It's a glorious truth

this psalm shares with us.

Hope you're hearing

its melody today.

The Lord,

your keeper,

will guard every single

detail of your life

day after day

forever.

There's no day,

there's no event,

there's no set of circumstances

that slips by his care.

He is your keeper.

It's amazing

that the psalmist

gives no qualifications,

no exception clauses.

He keeps your life,

well,

accept that one time

and he keeps your life.

Period.

If you belong to the Lord,

he's got you covered.

Maybe at this point,

you're saying,

okay,

okay,

okay,

but what sense

of that,

right?

Because we've all been

burned by the sun.

We all know times

when it doesn't seem

that shade is available,

both literal shade

and then also

just shade in life.

Seems like the problems

are just weighing us down,

beating us down.

There's nowhere to turn

for help.

Can we really believe

that this psalm is true?

We've all had experiences

that make us

kind of uncomfortable

to say,

the Lord is my helper,

right?

At least I have.

How is God keeping us then

in the midst of very,

very difficult things?

Is he keeping us then?

Of course he is

and

it's why the all capital

Lord

is so important.

this everlasting

steadfast love

of God

who has made a covenant

with us.

We certainly know

and must say

that this earthly life

is but a vapor,

that our outer selves

are wasting away,

that sometimes

the flaming darts

of the evil one

hit their mark

and wound us deeply.

And we're all walking around

with various limbs

and dried tears

and scars.

But God

is our keeper.

Nothing in this life

will be our downfall

because we're his.

I invite you to turn over

to Romans chapter 8

Romans 8 · chapter mention

starting in verse 31.

Psalm 121.

I think this is how

Psalm 121

would answer

in the midst

of life.

This is how

the Lord is our keeper

in the midst

of hardship.

Start in verse 31

and read to the end

of the chapter.

What then shall we say

to these things?

If God is for us,

who can be against us?

He who did not spare

his own son

but gave him up

for us all,

how will he not also

with him

graciously give us

all things?

Who shall bring

any charge

against God's elect?

It is God

who justifies.

Who is to condemn?

Christ Jesus

is the one who died.

More than that,

who was raised.

Who is at the right

hand of God

who indeed

is interceding

for us.

I think he will

keep you from all evil.

Who shall separate us

from the love of Christ?

Shall tribulation

or distress

or persecution

or famine

or nakedness

or danger

or sword?

As it is written,

for your sake

we are being killed

all the day long.

We are regarded

as sheep

to be slaughtered.

No.

No.

In all these things,

in all these things,

we are more

than conquerors

through him

who loved us.

For I am sure

that neither death

nor life

nor angels

nor rulers

nor things present

nor things to come

nor powers

nor height

nor depth

nor anything else

in all creation

will be able

to separate us

from the love of God

in Christ Jesus

our Lord.

Paul says,

suffering,

evil,

hardships

will come.

But our lives

are secure.

Our feet

will not be moved.

Harm

will not get

the last word.

Evil doesn't win.

So our Lord

is our keeper.

He will guard

every single detail

of our lives

day by day

forever.

forever.

We can sing it

because Jesus

died for our sins

and was raised.

As we start

the series,

it is right

and good

to remember

who our help

and who our keeper

is.

It's the one

we see in Psalm 121

made heaven

and earth.

The one

who never slumbers

nor sleeps.

the one

who sent

his son

to save

sinners

like us.

He will guard

every single

detail

of our lives

day after day

after day

forever.

It's who he is.

He's pleased

to do so

for all of us

if we're in Christ,

if we're Christians.

after I pray,

we get to sing

together,

yet not I

but through Christ

in me.

There's this

repeated line

that's been

hooking me

day after day

this week.

We have this

instant opportunity

now to

put this

Psalm into

practice.

The line

of this

Psalm,

to this

I hold.

It keeps

getting repeated

over and over.

It's kind of

the refrain.

To this

I hold,

my hope

is only

Jesus.

He's guarding

my life.

I hope

in him.

To this

I hold,

my shepherd

will defend

me.

Through the

deepest valley

he will lead.

There's nothing

in this life

that will

overtake me

because God

has put my

foot on the

rock.

To this

I hold,

my sin

has been

defeated.

evil

doesn't get

the last

word because

Christ has

conquered the

grave,

shed his

blood for

my sin.

Let's pray

together and

then sing

in response

to the

goodness of

Psalm 121.

Father,

we thank you

for your

word.

It's

true.

You are

our keeper.

We long

to by faith

live in the

goodness of

this.

God,

we just

ask that

joy would

rise in

our hearts

as this

truth lingers

there.

We rejoice

in you and

we trust in

you and

your goodness

to preserve

our lives

because Jesus

is our

king.

It's in

his name we

pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.