2010 – April 25 – What God Lets Slip

Study from God’s Word… Psalms 120, 121, 140, 143, and 144 … Passage for Reflection: Psalm 121: 7-8… NIV 7 The LORD will keep you from all harm — He will watch over your life; 8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

My Journal for Today: According to my devotional shepherd, Dr. Smith, Psalm 121 is what Jewish tradition calls “a song of ascents,” which the Jewish pilgrims, after David’s time, sang when they were ascending from the low lands, through the hills of the Negev, up to Jerusalem. Certainly when David wrote this song, he was trying to escape enemies by traversing the mountains in the deserts of the Negev hills. He was escaping his enemies, like Saul, in caves. But the later Jews sang these songs to remind the people to keep their eyes on the trails, and to keep their footsteps safe, as they traversed through the mountainous passes where the walking was precarious.

And this is a good word picture of our life. We often walk along dangerous paths, even through minefields, in this life, where there is temptation and danger ahead, to the right, and to the left along the trail of living. However, when we do, we need to be reminded, as does this Pslam, that we can depend on our God, who will watch over us and lead us on the right path – IF – we but follow Him as instructed by our Lord in such passages as Psalm 119: 105, Prov. 3: 5-6, and Luke 9: 23, ,,, and so many other of the Psalms David wrote as “songs of ascent,” which I was reading this morning – written for the Jews and for us as well.

I can’t tell you how many times, in my devotional life, I’m brought back to the words of that old, famous, and pertinent hymn of the faith by Helen Lemmel, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, which I guess is my “song of ascent,” often reminding me [I’m listening to it right now in my Itunes library] that when I keep my eyes upon my Lord as I traverse the dangerous trails of life, He will lead me safely along the path of life. I’m going to put the lyrics of this song – yes, again – for you to read and remember that Jesus wants to lead us along the precarious paths of life.

Meditate on these words, my friend, as with the old Hebrew “Selah,” to be uplifted by our God …

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

His Word will not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

PS: If you’re at your computer, maybe doing your devotional; and you’d like to hear Michael W. Smith sing the refrain to that old hymn, click on this link -

My Prayer for Today: Oh, my LORD, You walk ahead of me; and I follow You. Amen