A Reminder

I leave the reading of Psalm 121 to you. It’s short, so take a moment and read it. Yes, now. I’ll wait.

Some random reflections. It was thought, long ago, that powerful spirits lived on mountains; spiritual power on the mountain. So our Psalm writer does what anybody in trouble would do…look up to the mountain, the source of help. Instead, though, the Psalmist declares that help really comes from the One who made the mountain. That’s where the healing resides. It is the relationship with The One who made heaven and earth that makes a difference. Also, “he will not let you stumble…the Lord watches over you.” Well, truth be told, you and I stumble all the time. And, it’s getting harder and harder to get up! So, what about this stumbling? Maybe we ought to read the lines like this: The Lord doesn’t have a magic blanket to cover me. And, if I renounce or ignore my relationship with The One…move away from God and strike out on my own, then I am going to treat God like a lucky charm. God is not a rabbit’s foot in your pocket; God is a relationship in your heart. So, I really can’t blame God for the stumbling, nor complain that God has abandoned me. Who moved away?

I wish I could tell you that trusting God in a deep relationship will prevent all slips and stumblings and crash landings. Prevention? No. But I can remind you that staying in the presence of God, intentionally maintaining the relationship, will pull you through. It’s all about relationship.

Consider yourself reminded.