Russell embarked on his long journey with a car full of bags, boxes and a very nervous cat. Suddenly, he received an important phone message, just in time for him to pull into a service station. After answering, he prepared to pull away, but a sharp ‘snap!’ indicated the worst. No steering. No gears. The car was dead.
An already stressful three-hour journey became a six-hour epic. Three vehicle changes later, Russell returned home safely. But just think of what might have happened if it had not been for that phone message! The car was parked when it failed, not speeding down the motorway. The episode felt like a disaster steeped in God’s grace.
I think this is what the psalmist is describing in Psalm 121: “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth”, and “he who watches over you will not slumber” (vv. 2-3). Here is a promise of God’s attentive care in our lives. “The Lord shall preserve you from all evil” (NKJV)—disasters don’t get to rule the day because “he will watch over your life” (v. 7).
Russell was watched over that day. Yes, the breakdown required work, money and emotional energy to resolve—but God’s provision was clear.
We are not promised a life free from disasters, but one filled with God’s grace. “The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and for evermore” (v. 8).
By Debbi Fralick
REFLECT & PRAY
When have you experienced God’s grace during a disaster? How does this encourage you to seek God during times of pain and suffering?
Dear God, thank You for watching over my life. No disaster will ever be bigger than the grace You show me.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Psalm 121 is one of the “Songs of Ascents” (Psalms 120–134) set aside as a “mini-hymnal” within the overall psalter to give Jewish pilgrims songs to sing as they travelled three times a year to Jerusalem for the primary feast times (Passover and Firstfruits in the spring; Tabernacles in the fall). This particular psalm speaks directly to that pilgrimage—discussing the wrong (v. 1) and right places (v. 2 ) to look for assistance on the journey and offering promises of the specific areas of protection they can expect from God along the way (vv. 3–8). Psalm 121 is filled with confidence in God’s protection and provision. It’s an appropriate song of preparation for the worship they’d experience once they arrived in Jerusalem.
Bill Crowder
Our mission is to make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all.
