Episode 1917: lesson 4 Monday Jan 22: Assurance of God’s care

Read Psalm 40:1-3, Psalm 50:15, Psalm 55:22, and Psalm 121. How is God involved in our daily affairs?The Lord reveals Himself in Scripture as the living God who acts on behalf of those who call upon Him.For the psalmist, “the Lord [is] always before me” (Ps. 16:8). Therefore, he trusts God and calls upon Him (Ps. 7:1, Ps. 9:10). The Lord will hear him even when he cries out of the “depths” (Ps. 130:1, 2), conveying that no life circumstance escapes God’s sovereign dominion. Thus, the psalmist’s cry, no matter how urgent, is never devoid of hope.Psalm 121, meanwhile, celebrates the power of the Creator in the faithful individual’s life. This power includes:1. “He will not allow your foot to be moved” (Ps. 121:3, NKJV). The image of “foot” is often descriptive of one’s life journey (Ps. 66:9, Ps. 119:105, Prov. 3:23). The Hebrew word for “move” describes the security that God gives to the world (Ps. 93:1) and to Zion (Ps. 125:1).2. The image of the Lord as Israel’s Keeper who does not slumber nor sleep highlights the Lord’s constant alertness and readiness to act on behalf of His children (Ps. 121:3, 4).3. The Lord is “your shade” (Ps. 121:5, 6, NKJV) calls to mind the pillar of cloud in the time of the Exodus (Exod. 13:21, 22). Similarly, the Lord provides physical and spiritual shelter to His people.4. God is at their right hand (Ps. 121:5). The right hand typically designates a person’s stronger hand, the hand of action (Ps. 74:11, Ps. 89:13). Here it conveys God’s nearness and favor (Ps. 16:8, Ps. 109:31, Ps. 110:5).5. God’s protection of His people is clearly confirmed in Psalm 121:6-8. God shall preserve His children from all evil. Neither “the sun” nor “the moon” shall strike them. God shall preserve their “going out” and “coming in.” These poetic figures underscore God’s comprehensive, unceasing care.The bottom line? The psalmist trusted in God’s loving care. We, of course, should do the same.What are some practical ways that you can better experience the reality of God’s care? How can you better cooperate with God in order to enable Him to work within you and for you?