Psalm 121:7-8 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.
In certain Native American tribes, they had a rite of passage for their teenage boys. At the age of 13 a boy would be blindfolded and led to a spot in the woods. He would be made to sit down while the men of the tribe returned to camp. It was compulsory for the boy to sit all night with his blindfold in place. He was forced to listen to the terrifying sounds of the night.
Once he felt the warmth of the sun as it rose, he was allowed to remove the blindfold. The first thing he saw when he removed it was his father sitting across him. The boy’s father would sit with him all night, protecting him from the animals of the wilderness, yet he was not seen by his son.
Today’s verse is a promise from our heavenly father to protect us, when we go out, He keeps all evil away from us. Our lives and souls are covered in Him. Our coming in is preserved and we can experience peace during difficult situations. This promise of protection and safety is forever. Just like the boy in the story we may not always be able to see our father. Nonetheless our father is always watching over us around the clock. Psalm 121: 4 says, ‘He never sleeps nor slumbers.’
Many people struggle with the idea of God as a Father. Their own parents may have greatly wronged them, and God as a Father is not a trustworthy image. However, that is the beauty of our broken human lives, God was sent to redeem what the world has broken, and part of that starts with Him as a good Father. He is there to protect us and care for us so rest in His love today.
