He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;
    the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

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.—Psalm 121

Introduction

As you walked in this morning, are you at the mountaintop or in the pit, or somewhere in the middle? How would you answer that? I believe that for most of us, life is lived in the middle. It’s a long journey. There are high points and low points—but a relatively steady journey. Perhaps there are a few mountaintop moments of great joy (e.g., graduation, marriage, birth of children), and deep pits (death of family members, miscarriage, burying a son or daughter). But most of life isn’t an urgent crisis, and most of life isn’t a glorious trip around the world. There are seasons of crisis and seasons of ease, but most of life is lived in the middle.

This morning we’re looking Psalm 121, which is a psalm of trust or confidence. These psalms are so helpful because they give voice to our need for God in ups and downs of life. Consider for a moment how we have Psalms of Lament. These Psalms help us to express our deep pain, suffering, heartache, and grief. They give voice to dark experiences so that we can bring them before God. The Bible gives us words to express our pain. Then we have Psalms of Thanksgiving. These are the Psalms that give voice to thanksgiving, praise, and gratitude. These Psalms usually recount God’s faithfulness, deliverance, and help in time of need. God worked mightily, and so we give thanks in song.

Psalm 121 lives in the middle, somewhere in between those two realities. It’s not thanksgiving because the trials have not yet passed, and it’s not quite lament, because the trials are not so dire. Psalm 121 is an everyday psalm that we can utilize to express our hope and confidence in God. My aim is to equip us to have words of hope and trust on our lips as we live life in the middle.

So, the question I want to ask is how should we respond when faced with the normal, everyday trials of life? What type of instruction do we have in the Bible and what type of language does the Bible give us to express these longings? 

My plan for us is to look at the four two-verse stanzas that build on each other throughout Psalm 121 to discover what the Psalm tells us about God and how we can give voice to hoping in God.

But before we jump into looking at the Psalm, first we want to notice the inscription just under the title. While the chapters and verse headings are not divinely inspired, the indicator that this is a Psalm of Ascent does clue us into some information about this Psalm. The Psalm of Ascents are Psalms 120–134 (15 Psalms in total). What that would have meant would have been obvious to the original readers of the Psalms, but is less obvious for us today. What that likely meant is that this repertoire of songs and hymns were used by Israelites when they would make their pilgrimage up to Jerusalem three times a year. Every able-bodied male would leave his hometown and make the journey on foot to Jerusalem for the various feasts (e.g., Passover, Feast of Booths, Feast of Weeks). It’s likely that every traveler would have joined other travelers along the way in singing these hymns as they made their journey to Jerusalem.

So Psalm 121 is a hymn for the journey. But unlike the road trip songs we sing (e.g., 100 bottles of beer on the wall), which we use to pass the time, these songs not only helped to pass the time, but were to shape the heart, direct the will, motivate toward praise—to teach children and remind adults about the nature and character of God. So this psalm is meant to teach us about the character of God, and give voice to our emotions. The other picture or image we get from the Psalms of Ascent is that not only are Israelites taking a physical journey that will be tiresome, but they are also taking a spiritual journey. They are ascending to God’s temple where he dwells. They are going to Jerusalem, the place where God dwells. So Psalm 121 is also a help for us in our spiritual journey that we’re taking as we walk out in obedience the Christian life.

Outline

1. Where Is Our Help? (vv. 1–2)
2. Our Keeper Never Sleeps (vv. 3–4)
3. Our Keeper Protects Day & Night (vv. 5–6)
4. Our Keeper Guards Us From Evil (vv. 7–8)

Where Is Our Help? (vv. 1–2)

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.

The Psalm opens with a description and a question. Initially, the writer takes his eyes and lifts them up above, which is a poetic expression of looking upward for help. The mountains signify strength. The valleys signify trials: “I’m in a valley.” The valley is where trials, troubles, and hardships manifest. But when we say, “I’m on top of the world” or “I’m flying high” or “I’m on the mountaintop,” it’s an expression of conquering and victory. But here the psalm isn’t on the mountaintop and isn’t flying high, but the psalmist lifts his eyes above. There is something instructive about even this opening verse. When we live in the valley, we must keep in mind that mountains are in the distance. When you live in California or Colorado, or really anyplace with mountains, it’s a comforting sight to see mountains on the horizon, in the distance. It’s a reminder that there is something bigger than us out there.

Then the answer is given: “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” The first half of that verse would have been enough. Our help comes from the Lord, this is Yahweh. He is a helper. Listen as I read this small sampling of verses from the Psalms about Yahweh as our Helper:

• But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation, that you may take it into your hands; to you the helpless commits himself; you have been the helper of the fatherless.—Psalm 10:14
• For strangers have risen against me; ruthless men seek my life; they do not set God before themselves. Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.—Psalm 54:3–4
• For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper.—Psalm 72:12
• The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.—Psalm 118:7

God is not far off. He is not detached or distant from us. He is our Helper in time of need. We can often minimize the idea of a helper or helpmate, and yet here God is the one who helps his people in times of need and trial.

But the Psalmist goes further than that. Not only is Yahweh our Helper—which is comforting and true—but he is the Creator, the maker of heaven and earth. Our God is a strong and powerful helper.

Let me illustrate this. I have young children and sometimes they want to help me. It might be carrying in the groceries from the car. They are eager helpers. They are willing helpers. They are tenderhearted helpers. They are compassionate helpers. They really want to help me bring everything into the house. But only one thing is missing. The littlest ones are not strong enough to truly help me. They are willing, but weak. Well-intentioned, but unable.

But God is the one who made heaven and earth. He’s not just the one who manages it, he’s the creator, architect, designer, and craftsman that has intricately made every single piece and part. He laid the foundations of the earth. He formed every cloud in the sky. He gives strength and power to the waves, permission to the tornados, and energy to the earthquakes. He crafted every flower, causes every blade of grass to spring forth, and gives life to the birds and the bugs. Our Helper is not well-intentioned, but insufficient. Our helper is not willing, but weak. He is the creator of all things. So the needy have a strong helper ready to help. Charles Spurgeon comments on this verse saying, “He will sooner destroy heaven and earth than permit his people to be destroyed, and the perpetual hills themselves will bow rather than he fail whose ways are everlasting.”

If you’re hiring a contractor to help you at home, what do you ask for? References or their resume. We want to see your work. What have you done? Do you have the skills to help us? Our God’s resume is the heavens and earth, every mountain, every fish, every bird, every leaf, meticulously handcrafted and cared for. In every past, present, and future event, God has been at work in it and ordains it according to his infinite wisdom. God used the most horrific event in human history—the crucifixion of his Son, Jesus—for infinite and unspeakable good.

“Where is our help?” Answer: Our helper is Yahweh, God Almighty, who made the heavens and the earth. His resume is impeccable, so we can trust in him. 

Next, you’ll notice that some form of the word keep or keeper repeats itself in verses 3, 4, 5, 7 (twice), and 8. This word is translated in the ESV as “keep” or “keeper,” in the NIV it’s translated “watch over” and, in another version, it’s “protector” and “protect.” All of them get after the same thing: Our God is not only our helper who comes to our aid when we call upon him, but he is actively watching over and watching out for us. He is a guardian and a protector, and he keeps in his sight. And in the next three sections, we see three related truths about our Lord who is our keeper, our guardian, and protector.

Our Keeper Never Sleeps (vv. 3–4)

He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

I imagine that along this journey to Jerusalem there would be points of difficulty in walking those miles and miles in nothing more than leather sandals. And opportunity for a sprained ankle or a rock shifting was commonplace. But this imagery of God steadying the feet of his people is extensive. It’s a picture of God’s intimate and intricate care for his people. 

Here are a few other places in the Psalms that use that same imagery:

• For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?—the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.— Psalm 18:31–33
  God strengthens us for obedience. He gives us sure footing.
• He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.” God deliver us from destruction.—Psalm 40:2
• For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.—Psalm 116:8–9
  God keeps us from stumbling.

Some of you wear a pedometer or have a smart watch that functions as one. A pedometer tracks your every step that you take in a single day. The American Heart Association recommends 10,000 steps a day for a healthy individual. Consider the fact that God watches over not just one or two of those steps, but each and every single one. You walk places without a second thought, and God is watching over you with his care. If God watches over the steps of our feet, how much more will he preserve and watch over our heads and hearts? 

God watches over his children. What this Psalm of trust and confidence reminds us of is that trials are not a sign of God’s punishment or a sign of his absence. Instead, in each of these situations, there are tears, pits of destruction, miry bogs, and treacherous journeys that require help. For followers of Jesus, we can look to God who will keep us from stumbling down to our death. God holds us. Like the child that is just a little too fearless and goes close to the edge of the cliff, God is like that parent that is watching over, protecting, and caring for his people.

“He who keeps you will not slumber, behold he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (121:3). This verse reveals that our God is on watch, on guard, protecting and caring for his people 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, and year after year, and after decade after decade. Not only do we have a Helper, not only is he the Creator, not only does he watch our steps, but he never rests, never takes a break, and never loses sight of his children.

Probably the best illustration of this reality comes in 1 Kings 18. If you’ll recall, God sends Elijah the prophet to go to Ahab after bringing drought on the land for three years. Elijah goes to confront King Ahab because he had departed from God’s commandments, and went after false gods and idols, namely Baal. So he says, gather the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah at Mount Carmel for a contest to prove who truly serves the true and living God. So they take two bulls, slaughter them, lay them on altars, add wood, but add no fire. Instead, they are to call out to their gods for fire to rain down from heaven to ignite the altar. So these 850 prophets dance around for hours—it says morning to noon—calling out for Baal to receive their offering. At this point Elijah mocks them.

And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.—1 Kings 18:27–29

Elijah mockingly tells them to call out louder, for perhaps their god was in the bathroom, maybe off on vacation, or sleeping. The silence of Baal—a false and fraudulent god—is contrasted with Yahweh who never sleeps nor slumbers. He does not rest, he does not go off on vacation, and he is not silent when his children call upon him.

What does this mean for you? In the midst of difficulties or trials, you can look to God. He is a helper. He wants to meet you in the midst of this trial for your good. He wants to sanctify you. He wants to teach you to trust him more. He will steady your steps and will not let you go tumbling down the side of the mountain. Whether it’s in the midst of trials and suffering that come from your own sin, or perhaps just the normal and everyday challenges of life, God doesn’t fall asleep on the job. If he’ll watch your steps, he’ll watch over your head and heart as well. He doesn’t rest, so that he can give to his beloved sleep (Psalm 127:2).

Our Keeper Protects Day & Night (vv. 5–6)

The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

Building upon what has already been said, the Psalmist declares that God is like shade on our right, protecting us from both the sun by day and the moon by night. Now in the Ancient Near East, many would have believe the sun and moon were deities that could bring harm to people. But for Israelites, it wouldn’t have been deities, but rather the natural power of the sun to dehydrate and cause sunstrokes that were a danger. Whether you have shade could be the difference between life and death. In the regions surrounding Jerusalem, you can imagine the sweltering heat. And the image that the Psalmist gives us is that God provides us shade from the sun, which means he’s near to us to dwell in his shadow.

The “sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night,” which means that God will watch over us day and night. It’s a way of indicating that God will protect us from all the calamities of the day, perhaps like a sunstroke and dehydration, and the dangers of the night, like robbers, thieves, and wild animals. God watches over and protects from every calamity that may come. “Sun and moon” is also a merism—a figure of speech where you have two contrasting things placed side by side to refer to the whole thing. So if God made “heaven and earth,” that means he made everything. God loves the “young and old” meaning everyone. So God will protect his people from all calamities day and night.

In trials, remember to lift your eyes to our keeper, protector, and guardian day and night. God watches over his children in all the normal trials of life, like the difficulties we’ll face because we live in a fallen world. Our sin and dealing with the sin of others. Trials that arise like unemployment, financial challenges, health ailments, our car breaking down and stranding us on the road. And God is watching over in all the extraordinary trials of life: persecution, attacks, and tragedies. God protects us from shipwreck in all of these challenges and difficulties. God protects day and night.

This does raise one objection. Aren’t tragedies a sign that God is either powerless or uncaring? The critique goes like this: Either God is powerful enough to stop the tragedy but won’t, so he’s heartless; or he can’t stop the tragedy, so he’s powerless. To drive this home, I recently heard about two twin young men from Bloomington that got into a car crash and died. I believe they attend Bethlehem for a season at the South Campus, and perhaps some of us knew them. How should we think about such a tragedy?

I think we get help from Jesus’ words in Luke 21. In it, Jesus is warning his disciples of the trials that are to come: earthquakes, famines, pestilence, terrors, great signs from heaven, persecution, imprisonment, and trials before powerful people. Then he says in Luke 21:16–18, “You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish.” Your own family may betray you, and they will kill you, but not a hair of your head will perish. Is that contradictory? No. Jesus knew what he was saying here.

God is protecting, guarding, watching over love and trials, suffering, and even death are not mutually exclusive. Both can be true. The “what” God does in our suffering and trials is he watches over us in it so that it might produce in us godliness, obedience, greater trust, greater dependence, and a greater longing for his return. As 2 Corinthians 4:17 states, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” In the death of Jesus on the cross, he turned evil on its head so that evil ended up bringing about infinite and eternal good. And now we are “more than conquerors” such that even trials and suffering—both normal and extraordinary—are used by God to conform us increasingly into his image. This is why Paul can say “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55). God turned death for Christians into the door by which we enter eternity for joy everlasting. Death is turned on its head into the starting line of eternal glory.

So where does our help come from? From God, creator of heaven and earth. He is our keeper who never sleeps, protects day and night—and lastly—he is our keeper that guards us from all evil. 

Our Keeper Guards Us From Evil (vv. 7–8)

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. 

Not only does Yahweh our God protect us from all the calamities we experience in life, but he guards us from evil forces of darkness. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” God is watching us, protecting us, and guarding us in our spiritual journey. Much like in The Pilgrim’s Progress, we are on a journey to the Celestial City and there are trials and temptations along the way.

God is not just helping us from a distance, thinking, “I sure hope they make it.” Rather, God is keeping our souls, causing us to persevere in the faith. This repetition of “God is your keeper” is nothing less than saying, God will cause us to persevere in our faith. He will keep us from all evil. He will keep our life even in death so that we make it all the way Home.

So, in the midst of evil, perhaps spiritual attack, evil opposition, unusual temptation, persecution, Satan’s accusations of condemnation and shame, deception of the serpent, and the devouring of the dragon, God will preserve us according to his power and wisdom. Don’t forget that our Helper is the one who made heaven and earth, he doesn’t sleep or slumber, he never takes a day off, and he watches over those who are his, day and night, constant and unwavering.

This closing phrase, “The Lord will keep your going out and our coming in from this time forth and forevermore” tells us that God will watch our going and coming. It likely meant the start of the journey to Jerusalem, and the return. God is with us for the roundtrip journey, and he’s watching us all the way home in the spiritual journey to dwell with him face to face where there will someday be no more trials, no more pain, no more tears, no more sin, no more suffering, no more persecution, no more brokenness, no more heartache, no more disappointment, no more anxiety, no more putting to death the flesh, no more fighting sin, no more failure, no more anxiety, no more depression, no more pride, no more anger, no more abuse, and no more tragedies. There will only be the Lord who is our light and our life. Our Guardian, our Savior and our Lord.

Closing

Why is this true? Because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross for sinners. Jesus reconciled all things to himself. All that is bad and ugly and broken will be undone. All those who are hurting, depressed, and overwhelmed will be filled with laughter and inexpressible joy. Jesus’ death purchases forgiveness of sins so that we’re not guilty for all the ways we have contributed to the brokenness of our world and culture. Instead we are being renewed day-by-day into the image of the glory of the Son of God.

So, for you who long to have a future that is filled with inexpressible joy and laughter, and to see all the broken, ugly, and evil things in the world undone—including our own hearts bent toward sin: Surrender this morning to Jesus Christ. Confess your sins and believe in him.

And for us who can’t wait for that final day, and yet groan with all creation over the heartache, brokenness, and frailty of our world, let’s remember the words of Paul in Romans 8:35–39.

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, 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.

Sermon Discussion Questions

Main Point

True biblical Christianity requires both love and truth, intertwined, fused together, and informed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Opening Question

What is the most happy or memorable moment of your life and what is the saddest moment of your life?

Discussion Questions

• What is likely the purpose of the Psalm of Ascents (Psalms 120–134)
• What significance is there in how v. 2 answers v. 1?
• How does a never sleeping God differ from other gods (e.g., Baal) or other philosophies popular in our world?
• Discuss some of the significance that God watches his people both day and night.
• How should we respond to evil in light of God who keeps us from evil?
• How should the truth that God is our keeper (i.e., protector, guardian, watch care) have an impact on our thinking, actions, and feelings? 

Application Questions

• How can we encourage one another in the steady state of everyday life in light of the truth that God is our keeper?
• In what one or two areas do you struggle to trust that God is keeping you? How can Psalm 121 instruct us in how to sing and pray to God?
• What are some other aspects or characteristics of God that bring you unusual comfort in the midst of trial? What are some passages or verses that reveal those truths?
• If God is our keeper, how should that empower and enable us to take steps of faith in our lives? What are some areas where you need to take a step of faith and trust God?
• How does Jesus confirm and seal all the truths of Psalm 121? 

Prayer Focus

Take a moment to praise God for being our keep that never sleeps, always protects, and guards us from all evil. Confess any sins of failing to trust in God, seeking to solve problems in our own strength, or failing to look to God in the midst of trial. Thank God that we have forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ, and that he is constantly and lovingly watching over those who have been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. Ask God for faith to trust him more and more, even in and especially in the midst of trials and suffering.