Encouragement

I was reading the book of Psalms this morning and I came across a Psalm that should be an encouragement to any believer.  This is Psalm 121:1- 8, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”

The author of this Psalm is anonymous but many suggest that it could have been Hezekiah.  Whoever wrote this knew where their help came from and it wasn’t from any other source than the Lord.  You can seek out many other sources but the Lord should always be your first choice.  The Lord doesn’t slumber or sleep and He watches over us at all times, night and day.  Israel was the Lord’s chosen and so are all true believers that are born again.  God loves and watches over all His people, praise the Lord!!  The Lord is the Creator of the heavens and earth and all the rest of what was created and we can trust Him with our lives.  The Lord said that He would never leave us or forsake us and that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Another Psalm you may want to look at and read is Psalms 23:1-6, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”

I know this is a familiar Psalm but you may need to be reminded of what it says.  David, who is the author, sees the Lord as a caring shepherd who cares about His sheep, which refers to David and the Lord’s people and He is always there for them regardless of the circumstances or situations to lead them in the right path or direction they should take so He can keep them safe.  David knew a lot about sheep because in his younger days he was a shepherd boy taking care of his father’s sheep, protecting them and watching over them.  Plus, David loved the Lord and experienced His protection on more than one occasion when he was a shepherd boy, so he was speaking out of experience.  Sheep were very stubborn and had to be led or they could end up in deep water and drown or they may wander away from the flock and be easy prey for predators, like lions and other animals, but as long as they stayed close to the shepherd they were safe.

People tend to be very stubborn at times, also, wanting to go their own way and do their own thing and they fall into sin and a snare and are separated from the good Shepherd and then there are consequences that take place, just like the stubborn sheep, until they come back to the good Shepherd and repent of their stubbornness and sins.  That is why it is so important to stay close to the good Shepherd and let Him watch over us and protect us and lead and guide us in paths of righteousness.  We can only have peace when we stay close to the Lord, our good Shepherd.  

David had a lot of enemies so he must have known what I was like to go through the valley of the shadow of death, also, and he also knew the deliverance of the Lord on his life many times, so he could truly say that he feared no evil because he knew that the Lord was with Him, watching over him and he could rest in that fact.  He also knew he would dwell with the Lord forever!  I hope this has been an encouragement.

Do you want that kind of assurance that you will be with the Lord forever? If you are tired of struggling through life on your own and you have a desire to repent and ask the Lord to forgive you of your sins (for we all have sinned and fell short of the glory of God), ask Him to come into your heart and life and be the Lord of your life and wash and cleanse you of your sins and make you His child.  If you are sincere, I believe it will take place but don’t be in a hurry, let the Lord fill you with His peace, love and joy then go share what the Lord has done with others and start growing in your faith, thanking and praising the Lord for He is worthy!!  Then go worship with other believers.  I have given you something to think about and may the good Lord bless you and yours and may you have a super day!!