Psalm 121: 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.
I recently met with a woman who had suffered a tragedy. Answers to the why’s of the event were not available and probably never would be. Besides feeling like her heart had been ripped out of her chest, she felt devastatingly alone. Though people were around her, trying to give her support, she felt very lost and alone. She did not know where to turn to for help. She did not know if she would even be able to get up in the morning, let alone try to live.
After we spent time talking, I read her this Psalm. Psalm 121 is one that is written for those who feel lost in life, who feel lone, who feel like the only place they now reside in is one of pain and despair. This Psalm is full of promise: that the Lord helps, the Lord hears, the Lord protects, and the Lord walks with us. Even more importantly, this Psalm reminds us that the Lord cares.
I’m not sure if my conversation with the woman helped or not. I hope it gave her some comfort, even for a few moments. But I know that the words of the Psalm will have lasting impact, that she will know that she can always turn to the Lord who created her, saved her, and promises to be with her forevermore. After all, it has always done that for me.