“I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip- He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you- the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm- He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”

Psalm 121

I taught my son the first two verses of this psalm over the summer for Bible memorization. It came to mind this morning, refreshing my burdened spirit. This psalm also reminds me that although at some point my physical body will perish my salvation is eternally secure in the hands of our Lord. The Christian life isn’t an escape from hardship and the sorrows this world brings but gives us an eternal perspective so we need not fear them.

I’m reading The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom, an excellent example of how Christians respond in the face of evil. As the war begins to invade their Holland village, Corrie and her sister Betsie stay up one night as British and German airplanes dogfight overhead. Explosions make their dishes rattle as the night sky lights up a fiery orange. After the noises die down, Corrie makes her way back to bed in the dark. She is almost met with harm as a piece of shrapnel lay on her pillow. Racing back downstairs she exclaims to her sister Betsie of the ‘what if’ scenario that could have happened just then if Corrie had not felt the blade first before laying down. Betsie responds:

“Don’t say it Corrie! There are no ‘if’s’ in God’s world. And no places that are safer than other places. The center of His will is our only safety- O Corrie, let us pray that we may always know it!”

This is my prayer- to know I can trust my Father even when wickedness seems victorious. The center of His will is the safest place to be. I may not understand it but can rest assured He has not forsaken His children. It’s easy to get caught up in our current events and despair as Christians. But God is our strength and will carry you through each day in His mercy and grace. We are hidden in His Son, the One who died for believers so that we do not ever face eternal separation from God. He is our Help- the Maker of Heaven and earth. We are merely passing through this world as pilgrims. Our forever home will one day be a reality for all those who trust in Christ. Run the race today. The finish line is not that far ahead.

Grace upon grace,

April