Psalm for Sunday, October 20, 2019

Reflections

Psalm 121:  1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8   (Read)

“Our help is from the Lord.”
 
The Psalm is a prayer for believers
when we are uncertain, when we face
the dangers of this world, or when we
encounter obstacles on our journey of
faith and works.

Where does our help come from?
As our psalmist says, it comes from 
the Lord.   Just as Moses raised up 
his hands and obtained God's intervention 
on the side of  Israel (Exodus 17:11-12),
so too the Psalm calls for us to look upward 
for God’s help, “I lift up my eyes toward the
mountains.”
And our psalmist reminds us, “The Lord is your
guardian.”  We are obliged to pray, “May He not
suffer our foot to slip.”

We may rest assured that our Lord sends us the Holy
Spirit to safeguard us, and we give thanks that our
protector is a guard who never falls asleep at his post,
nor is He ever off duty.  “May He slumber not who
guards you, indeed He neither slumbers nor sleeps.”

When we do battle with evil or injustice,
who can we turn to?   Are we likely to overcome
the powers and principalities that threaten us
along the road by depending on our puny defenses?
Not so, the Psalm reminds us.  Without the Lord as our
shade we are subject to the sun's harmful rays
and the moon's evil influences.   But if we trust
in the Lord,  “The Lord will guard you from all evil.”

But how do we get God’s attention when we need
His help?  Jesus tells us how in the Gospel –
we are to pray with persistence, without becoming
weary,  like the widow who obtains a just decision
from the unwilling judge. (Luke 18:1-5)
And as the Psalm concludes, if our faith is strong, 
and we trust in the Lord,
“The Lord will guard our coming and going,
both now and forever.”

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist says that the Lord is beside you at your right hand.   
Speak of what it is that reassures you of the Lord's protection on your 
journey.

2.  The Psalm is about the power of prayer and of trust in the Lord.  
Give an example of how you have persisted in prayer and obtained 
the Lord's help in overcoming difficulty.