The Promise - Ps. 121:8

"The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever."
Ps. 121:8

When I read Ps. 121, my first reaction was, "Yeah right! Tell that to Job!" That the Psalm writer was obviously caught up in that idea that God will cause everything to be good in the life of a believer. However, as I re-read the Psalm more carefully, I noticed that there was actually no such message in this passage. It doesn't say bad things won't happen, it says: God watches over me; he will not let me stumble and fall; he protects me and keeps me from evil; preserves my life and has an interest in me now and forever. Once again, his promise has little to do with circumstances, it deals more with our response to those circumstances. In this light, this Psalm absolutely applies to Job -- he didn't stumble or fall, and his life was preserved (saved) for eternity. Job, in fact, probably clung to verses like this when all seemed lost.

God, thank you for guarding me -- help me to trust you more.

Today's reading: Ps. 121; Mk. 9, 10