Benediction of Protection

The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not smite you by day nor the moon by night.  The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.  The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.  Psalm 121:5-8


If anything characterizes our world today it is uncertainty.  The world markets are in turmoil because of unceratinty.  It is the threat of disaster more than the reality of it that causes near panic on both Wall Street and Main Street.  It is a time when trust in all human devises, personalities, and organizations fail.

That's a good time for Christians!

When we realize that only the Creator of Heaven and Earth is in ultimate control of our lives and our destinies, we can find peace and security in Him and His promises.
Psalm 121 is one of the "Psalms of Ascension" that were sung or recited by pilgrims as they ascended to Jerusalem for the seven feasts of Israel.  The journey was very long and arduous for many, and it could be dangerous.  The message of Psalm 121 would comfort and encourage the worshipers as they pressed on toward the Temple of the LORD.

We, too, can find encouragement in God's promise to protect us in our long journey to the heavenly Temple of God--what John Bunyan called "The Celestial City" in The Pilgrim's Progess.  The first and only qualification is that we truly belong to the LORD.  And we can be sure of that if we have trusted in the Savior, Messiah Jesus, and received Him.  (See John 1:12-13)

The verses above promise that the LORD will shade "your right hand."  The right hand was a metaphor for service and labor, and shade represented protection.  The LORD protects our labor and service from all circumstances, day or night.  He will keep us from all evil, physical, financial, or most importantly, spiritual.  This does not mean that nothing unpleasant will come into our lives.  But it does mean that God will not allow anything "evil" into our lives.  If He allows pain and difficulties into His child's life, He designs it for good.  "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)  He will keep (or guard) or souls. 

"The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in . . ."  All your daily business is under the watchcare of Almighty God! We can go about our work, the care of our families, and, yes, even our investing, with the confidence that God is caring for us.

We can have certainty in uncertain times, if we are God's redeemed children.  He cares for His own!