Sunday, February 2, 2014

Reflection from Part 1 of the Ascent Series


 

Part 1: The Lord is Your Keeper
Today, Pastor Jordan Unfired launches the new teaching series as our Pastor is away on Sabbatical. Three times a year, Israelites from all over Israel journeyed to Jerusalem to observe the so-called pilgrimage feasts: Passover in the spring, Pentecost in early summer, and Tabernacles in the fall. At these feasts, all Israel gathered to worship the Lord together as his united people. Worshippers traveled together in groups for safety. As they drew near to Jerusalem, they sang songs together in anticipation of the celebration that was to take place. This collection of songs, known as the Songs of Ascent, we know as Psalms 120-134.
Today, we will look at Psalm 121, a psalm about the journey itself. In it, the traveler looks to the Lord for safety and protection as he makes his way to Jerusalem. As the psalm develops, the journey to Jerusalem becomes a metaphor for the journey of life. From this psalm, we learn to look to the Lord as our only source of help.



I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?  My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.  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. 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. 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 121:1-8
 
 
 
 
We will never find ourselves in a place   
that God is not there.
 
                                   We will never find ourselves in a time                                     
that God cannot hear.
 
 
We will never find ourselves in a fog   
that God cannot clear.
 
 

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