My Guardian

This morning I opened my new Bible - the International Standard Version - to where I left off at the end of Psalms 119.  I noticed that in this version, each of the chapters have a title or heading, so I started to go through and look at those.  As I did so, one jumped out at me. The entire chapter is only 7 verses long:

The Guardian of God’s People

"I lift up my eyes toward the mountains—from where will my help come?  My help is from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth.  He will never let your foot slip, nor will your guardian become drowsy.  Look! The one who is guarding Israel never sleeps and does not take naps.  The Lord is your guardian; the Lord is your shade at your right side.  The sun will not ravage you by day, nor the moon by night.  The Lord will guard you from all evil, preserving your life.  The Lord will guard your goings and comings, from this time on and forever." (Psalm 121   ISV)

I realize how easy it is for me to fall back into fear as I move forward into the challenges of each day.  It helps to remind myself that I've given God charge of my life and he is leading me.  This short chapter is full of wonderful promises.  Several stand out particularly to me today:

• "He will never let your foot slip" Thank you, Father! You know my concerns about making a wrong move.  What a wonderful promise this is.  Father, I believe, help thou mine unbelief!  May I relax and trust you fully!  How wonderful to know that you will not let my foot slip!
• "Nor will your guardian become drowsy. . . (he) never sleeps and does not take naps." I get a kick out of this one.  I remember when I was growing up, there was a night watchman who was hired to keep an eye on a nearby building - but it seemed he was always SLEEPING!  Though it seems silly to think of God falling asleep on the job, I am so grateful to know that nothing will catch Him unawares.  He has my back no matter what. Thank you, Father!
• "The Lord will guard your goings and comings from this time on and forever."  Unfortunately, I have a tendency to worry about a lot of things.  One of those is that I'll forget to stop and consciously ask my Father for guidance about something and get myself in trouble.  This verse speaks to this for me.  God knows I want His leading in my life and that I am working on learning to "pray without ceasing" (I Thessalonians 5:17), but He also understands my human forgetfulness.  I take this verse as a promise that he continues to guard my activities - even on those occasions where I forget to formally seek His will.  I've given my will and my life to Him and He takes that decision seriously.  Thank you, Father! I am so glad that NOTHING can separate me from your love (Romans 8:35,38,39) - not even myself!  Thank you, Father!

I look again at the verse from I Thessalonians that had come to mind - and read the surrounding verses.  Paul had written instructions for daily living to the church members there and this verse is in the middle of his instructions, sandwiched on both sides by instructions to be joyfilled and thankful:

"Always be joyful. Continually be prayerful. In everything be thankful, because this is God’s will for you in the Messiah Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 ISV)

It sounds good, doesn't it?  But how challenging it is for me to stay in that mindset!  ALWAYS be joyful?  CONTINUALLY be prayerful? In EVERYTHING be thankful?  What a tall order.  I am so glad that God is not just the author, but also the finisher of my faith (Heb 2:2).  He will continue the work He has begun in me will continue it and see it to completion (Phil 1:6), always bringing me closer to living that ideal.

Father, thank you so much for your love and power in my life!  May I learn from you so that I can follow these instructions to ALWAYS be joyful, CONTINUALLY be prayerful, and in EVERYTHING be thankful!  One would think it would be relatively easy to follow these instructions when things seem to be going well; that the challenge would come when thing seem to be going badly.  Unfortunately, Father, I see in me a tendency toward worry even when things are going well!  I think of that song from childhood, "Why worry, when you can pray?"  What a great question.  Father, I want to give you my burdens as I've been instructed to do; to turn my worries over to you and move forward in joyful thanksgiving.  Even this I can only do through your strength and love and I ask for that once again this day.  Thank you for all you are doing in my life!  And thank you for the following words that you brought to my mind:

"For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."  (Isaiah 55:12  KJV)

Thank you, Father!  It is indeed "a good thing to give thanks" to you. (Ps 92:1) You do indeed do all things well (Mark 7:37), and I am grateful.  Once again this day I choose to enter into your gates with singing and into your courts with praise (Ps 100:4) as I remember that "This is the day that the Lord hath made. We will rejoice and be glad in it."(Ps 118:24)  Thank you, Father!  Thank you for what you are doing in my life and the miracles you are performing for me now.  Father, you know the desires of my heart even better than I do, and I rejoice as I remember your words through the Psalmist: 

"Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.  Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."  (Psalms 37:4-5 KJV)

Wow, not only is my life to be easier because of handing over my worry to you so that I can always be joyful, but you've promised that as I do so, as I delight in You, You will give me the desires of my heart!  As if being able to be joy-filled isn't reward enough, you add even more incentive!  Father, thank you.  I know you know me better than I know myself, and I can trust you to know what my truest desires are.  Thank you for this wonderful promise that as I delight in you, you will give me my desires!  No wonder Jesus talked about how you give: "good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over" (Luke 6:38).  

As I read this verse in Luke, I am reminded that I am expected to give - that indeed this is a prerequisite for receiving.  I find myself asking, "What am I to give"?  I don't want to keep the blessings at bay by being selfish and tightfisted!  Then I am gently reminded of the many things I've been giving: time spent cueing, hand crafted cards for folks, fabric, etc. And yet I know my heart and how easy it is to become selfish.  Father, please guard my heart and my mind as promised (Phil 4:7). May I be so filled with your love that giving is second nature to me and that I give to others as freely as you give to me.  Thank you, Father.
 

This brings me full circle to where I started this morning - with the idea of God as my guardian.  Father you have given me so many wonderful promises this morning!  Thank you for being such a good guardian to me - today and everyday.  Thank you for guarding my path and keeping me from falling, and for giving me my hearts desires and for giving me joy and peace instead of worry and depression.  As Isaiah said, you give: "a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, a mantle of praise instead of a spirit of despair." (Isaiah 61:3 ISV) Thank you, thank you, thank you!