Comfort and Confidence

Read Psalm 121

Psalm 121, the second song of ascents, was often sung as the people began their journey towards Jerusalem for the festivals. This psalm brought comfort and confidence in the Lord as he protected the people on their journey. This psalm is still applicable to this day as we face trials in life. It is a constant reminder to find comfort and place our confidence in God.

Our help is from the maker of the whole universe. - “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

Often, we can feel so insignificant that we forget God’s true power; not only does God have the power to help us, but he created us and provides everything good in our lives. ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth… And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.’ Genesis 1:1, 31

Jesus knew of our weakness in this matter and reminded us where to look for help and our worth in God as creatures made in his image ‘Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?’ Matthew 6:25, 26

Our help is not from an idle God or idol gods. - ‘He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.’

Our helper is not flawed by sin. God has real, perfect power over all creation, unlike the idols of this world, whether they be statues made of gold, money, possessions, status or fame. ‘The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths. Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them.’ Psalm 135:15-18

God’s power is real, seen time and time again, although we are so quick to forget. Even the disciples who were seeing Jesus’ Miracles regularly were quick to forget the full extent of his sovereign power. ‘And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”’ Mark 4:37-39, 41

Our help is near to us - ‘The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.’

We must remember that even when we are going through trials in our lives, when all hope seems lost, our saviour is with us and experienced everything we feel when he lived on earth in the form of a man. Not only this, but he continues to be with us; the holy spirit dwells in the hearts of all who are his. ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.’ Psalm 23:4

When we feel like we are in this valley, when sin surrounds us when the world is heading towards more and more sin, when lawmakers seem to completely defy God’s commands, we need to remember that no one can defy God’s plans for his people ‘The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.’ Psalm 121:7, 8