Psalm 121
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
from where will my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time on and forevermore.
…he who keeps you will not slumber.
Last weekend, I was in the basement doing laundry. Boomer, the cat, came running down the stairs and screamed at me. Seeing that he was clearly distressed, I followed him back upstairs. I never figured out exactly what had him so upset, but I think he was worried because Dave went out for a walk. His screams seemed to be saying, “nobody’s watching us”!!!
As adults, we like to think that we don’t need somebody to watch us anymore. There are times, however, when we find being alone in the house more than a little bit disorienting. The truth is that we all need to know that someone is looking out for us.
It’s that deep need for safety and security that makes Psalm 121 so comforting for many of us. There’s something about the image of God gently watching over God’s sleeping children that comforts us on a visceral level. It’s an image I’ve drawn comfort from during many dark and anxious nights.
Prayer: God, Our Perfect Parent: Thank you for your constant, loving care. AMEN