The One Who Watches Over You

“Long Obedience in the Same Direction” 

Devotional Day 5   -  The One Who Watches Over You – Based on Chapter 3 – “Providence”

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

1I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

where does my help come from?

2My help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

3He will not let your foot slip—

he who watches over you will not slumber;

4indeed, he who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

5The Lord watches over you—

the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

6the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

7The Lord will keep you from all harm—

he will watch over your life;

8the Lord will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.

Anyone who knows me knows I love the outdoors.  I love experiences.  You also know I’m generally a happy person.  I laugh often.   Sometimes too loudly.  I happen to find myself amusing.  But it is one of the most important things that we learn on this journey called life – happiness is not our purpose.  Our purpose is Glory!  But not our own glory. 

I admit I struggle with this, but I want to reflect on my recent father son fishing trip.  It begins with Hope the hope represented by the rainbow that showed up as we exited the interstate to our hotel.  That God will not destroy us regardless of our sinful state.  Not only will he not destroy us, but the creation will continue to serve us. But my hope is not in mountains or in rainbows my hope is in the Lord.   

And we had plans to go fishing and we had a fun first day but Tim caught one fish    The other father and son team caught two Tuna.  We felt a little left out, but we soldiered on.  Day two was Father’s Day and me and the other Dad both caught large King Mackerels but the son’s struck out all day.  It was a struggle. 

(albeit a beautiful one).

Where was God?  Was he not aware of our prayers? Did he not know of our heartfelt desires?  We had traveled hundreds of miles spent valuable money to catch a Sail Fish.  Life doesn’t always provide happiness but we have a choice to be present, to seek the Lord, and to choose to glorify Him for the beauty of his Creation certainly but even then the brokenness of the creations bring us harm also.  We have to learn that the joy of our journey is not happiness, which is fleeting, it isn’t beauty which can turn to storms.  

Joy is that there is one who “Watches Over You” He watches over your life! 

We did not catch the fish we wanted.  Life is much more serious than a fishing trip, but that statement is a metaphor for life.  Yet – if we turn our attention away from the pursuit of happiness and to the pursuit of God’s glory then brothers and sisters we experience the joy of being watched over by one who never slumbers, never sleeps – whose Joy in you is eternal.  The search for meaning is not in happiness but in Glory.