Our Keeper
I am not a theologian. However, there are moments in life when we find ourselves in valleys — not the scenic kind with flowing streams and wildflowers, but the valleys of struggle, uncertainty, and pain. These are the places where we feel vulnerable, exposed, and desperately in need of help. It’s in these moments that the words of Psalm 121 become more than just scripture. They become a lifeline for me. Maybe it will encourage you.
Looking Up When We’re Down
“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.” Psalm 121:1–2
King David, the author of this psalm, knew something about valleys. He was a ruler, a warrior, and a great leader. However, he was also human. He faced struggles that would break lesser men: running from King Saul, battling the Philistines, and even fleeing from his own children during times of civil war. Some scholars believe this Psalm was written during his conflict with his eldest son Absalom, a time when David found himself literally and figuratively in a valley.
This Psalm may have been written in time of war. But it can also be for those who are traveling. The people that are going from point A to point B. And they find themselves in between.
Have you ever found yourself in between?
Those long road trips where there’s no city lights in sight…the people who were going between cities…for the rail riders or those who for some reason walk the trails with the hills in them…
Let’s be honest, every situation in life is not a mountain top experience. Every situation is not
Cimatic
On top of the world
On cloud nine
Ecstatic
Elated
Overjoyed, or ever joyful.
Sometimes you find yourself in the valley.
When David declared “I lift mine eyes towards the hills,” he was describing more than just a physical action, it was a spiritual action. That lifting up reminds me of prayer.
It’s lifting up in
Supplication
In faith
In hope
In boldness
Optimism
Confidence and assurance.
Now here’s what’s important to understand: in David’s time, during war or when traveling on the road, the hills weren’t just any hills. He wasn’t looking at some random hillside, and he wasn’t looking to see if there were any other problems out there like we would do — you know how we look around saying
“If it’s not one thing, it’s another!”
He wasn’t scanning to see if enemies were hiding or lurking in the hillside.
David was looking at Mount Moriah, looking at Mount Zion — the place where the Ark of the Lord resided, the place where God’s presence dwelled. Because where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
When David said his help came from the Lord, he was making a powerful declaration. His help didn’t come from money, not from status, not from influence or political connections. Is there anybody reading this who can testify? You may have all the resources in the world, but your real help… You may go through sometimes, but your help comes from the Lord.
Jonathan Nelson captures this beautifully in his song: “I’ve got evidence, I’ve got confidence, I’m a conquer, I know that I’ll win, I know who I am, God wrote it in his plan, For me, my name is VICTORY!”
When David said “lift up mine eyes,” he was essentially saying lift up your head — be ye lifted up, you everlasting doors! This is about positioning ourselves to receive help from the only true source.
The Reality of Our Valleys
Let’s be honest, not every moment in our Christian journey is a mountaintop experience. We don’t always feel on top of the world, cloud nine, or overwhelmingly joyful. Sometimes we find ourselves in valleys that feel all too familiar:
The valley of sadness or grief
The valley of sickness and physical struggle
The valley of resentment and bitterness
The valley of hopelessness and feeling helpless
The valley of returning to mundane responsibilities after a loss
These valleys aren’t random; they’re part of the human experience. David, being a soldier, understood that valleys are where the real battles happen. That’s where the strongholds are, where enemies gather, where obstacles seem insurmountable. In reading this this is what I’ve learned about it. There is a three fold protection.
Our Three-Fold Protection
1. The Lord Is Our Keeper
“The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.” — Psalm 121:5
The Hebrew word for “keeper” here is shamar, which means so much more than just keeping something safe. It means to guard, protect, observe, watch, and wait for. When God keeps us, He shamars us. In other words, he actively guards our every step.
Here’s the problem. We often want to be kept by other things: other people, family members, financial security, or social status. While these can provide temporary comfort, they cannot sustain us the way God can. Even our most spiritual family members, as anointed and wonderful as they may be, cannot truly keep us in the way our souls need to be kept.
God provides shade in the heat of our struggles. When we try to go outside His boundaries, outside His will and His way, we expose ourselves to the scorching heat of life’s trials. But in His keeping place, there’s shade — there’s peace, rest, and the cooling breeze of the Holy Spirit.
2. The Lord Is Our Preserver
“The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.” — Psalm 121:7
A few weeks ago while in Beaumont, my wife and I went to Pappadeaux to celebrate my birthday. And Pappadeaux can be expensive! Knowing this, we weren’t so quick to throw it all away. We took some to-go bags. We wanted to preserve it, or should I say, save it for later. When you pay for good food and you may not get to eat all of it. You put it away where I’m from it’s called “leftovers”. You want to enjoy it later, so you preserve it. You get it, put it in a bowl, close it, seal it, store it in the refrigerator. When you come back the next day, the taste is better, and the seasoning is better. Because it’s preserved and you paid for it.
My Aunt Marion, my mom’s older sister, would put fruit in jars. I wondered why she did that
“Why did she put those good peaches in a jar and put them on a shelf in the garage?
I was told she did it to preserve them, to keep them from spoiling, to keep them from going bad.
This is what God does when you are in Him, when you are being kept by Him, secured by Him, preserved by Him. God preserves us from the contamination of evil, from toxic influences, from the elements that would spoil our souls.
This preservation includes:
Salvation and deliverance
Protection from the enemy’s attacks
A hedge of protection around our lives
Security in our eternal relationship with Him
As Jesus promised:
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37)
We are sealed, preserved, and protected by His love.
3. The Lord Is Our Safeguard
“The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” — Psalm 121:8
I love my Aunt Marion — she’s awesome. I told you she had those peaches in a jar in the garage, and that garage door was locked. The only person who could get to them was her. She safeguarded them.
The Lord is our safeguard. So much so that the enemy has to ask permission to get to you. That’s your hedge of protection, that cleft in the rock where He hides you.
Personal Thoughts
Perhaps you’re reading this from your own valley right now. Maybe you’re dealing with:
Problems that seem overwhelming
Situations that feel impossible
People who have lied about you or mistreated you
Moments when you want to give up or give in
Struggles, sickness, setbacks, or troubles on every side
Here’s what I want you to know: He preserves you through it all. When you want to act foolishly, He preserves you. When others get on your nerves, He preserves you. In confusion, upset, and the desire to quit — He preserves you.
The Promise That Covers It All
The beauty of Psalm 121 is found in its comprehensive promise. God’s protection isn’t limited to certain areas of our lives or certain times of day. The psalm specifically mentions:
Protection from the sun by day and the moon by night
Preservation from all evil
Safeguarding of our souls
Protection of our going out and coming in
A promise that extends “from this time forth, and even for evermore”
This is total coverage. This is complete care. This is the kind of keeping, preserving, and safeguarding that only the Creator of heaven and earth can provide.
Lifting Our Eyes Today
When you find yourself in a valley, remember David’s example. Lift your eyes — not to search for more problems, but to look toward the source of your help. Lift them in:
Supplication and prayer
Faith and hope
Boldness and optimism
Confidence and assurance
Your help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He is:
Jehovah Jireh (your provider)
Jehovah Shalom (your peace)
El Elyon (the Most High)
The Alpha and Omega
Your keeper, preserver, and safeguard
A Closing Encouragement
No matter what valley you’re walking through today, you can lift your head with confidence. You are kept by the One who neither slumbers nor sleeps. You are preserved by the One who paid the ultimate price for your soul. You are safeguarded by the One whose love extends from this time forth and even forevermore.
Why? Because the Lord is your keeper, and His faithfulness endures forever. His mighty acts of preservation continue in your life every single day.
Talk to you later.
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