Lent: ... He will keep your life.

Lenten journey continues.  

I have been very sick the last few days from fever and cough and every thing else under the sun it seemed. I could not concentrate on anything.  I prayed half awake and I fell asleep while praying many a time.  Today I am better.  No more fever and I am sitting up awake for a few hours now.  As I read one of the scripture readings for today I am so surprised that the Psalm for today is Psalm 121.  I have read it so frequently in my ministry especially at funerals and memorial services I can almost recite it by heart.  "I lift up my eyes to the hills, from where will my help come? My help comes form the the Lord, who made heaven and earth..... He will keep your life...."  

Yes, He does keep my life always.  It is a promise to me personally from God. Even in the unclarity of mind in sickness God is keeping my life.  There are so many times I am afraid or I am frustrated or I am stressed out or I feel lost, yet God is still there.  I just have to remember to lift up my eyes to the hills.  And there He was and is and always will be.  God always helps me in ways that I need help.  God is not my magic wand.  When I asked for what I think I need, God gave me the help I really needed.  I don't always get what I asked God for but I always get what I needed.  

It is a promise that the Lord will keep each of our lives.  He will keep our going out and our coming in from now on forevermore! Wow! what a promise.  So, I pray today saying:

Great and powerful God, thank you for being my God.  Thank you for your promise to keep my life.  Help me understand your will for my life.  Thank you for the privilege to lift up my eyes to the hills from where my help comes, YOU, who made heaven and earth.  Help me to understand all your help especially when you gave me help that's different from what I have asked you.

In your great mercy and love, Jesus the Christ. Amen.  

Psalm 121

Assurance of God’s Protection

A Song of Ascents.
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 for evermore.

Also: 2 Timothy 1:3-7