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{Psalm 121}

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore. ~Psalm 121

I have read this Psalm many times and I was always a little stumped as to why it used the word "keep" when talking about what God the Father does for His children... and then tonight it made sense to me (so much so that I just had to share!).

The word "keep" doesn't mean "prevent," like I originally thought, but rather it means "protect." What an incredible realization!! If God were to "prevent" us from harm, that would take away a man's free will. Evil exists because of man's ability to choose (to do good or evil).

Instead, God protects His children from the harm of the sun and the dangers of night (v6), He protects us from ALL evil (v7a), He protects us daily, even in the mundane tasks (v8), all the days of our lives!! How wonderful to know my God will do all of this for me, a sinner who deserves none of it?!?!

Thank you, Lord, for loving me, keeping me, saving me.

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