Psalm 121:1-8
Psalm 121
Many people come back to Psalm 121 at the end of the day, when the house is quiet and the mind is not. It opens with a plain question, "Where does my help come from?" Then it answers it slowly. It speaks of a keeper who "will neither slumber nor sleep," of shade by day, and of the moon by night. If you lie awake turning over tomorrow's worries, it can be a comfort to sit with words that picture someone else keeping watch.
You don't need to have settled feelings to journal with this psalm. You can bring your tired eyes, your unfinished list and your honest questions. The prompts below move through the psalm a few lines at a time. Take one a night if that suits you, and let your writing become a prayer before you turn out the light.
1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from Yahweh, who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to be moved. He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 Yahweh is your keeper. Yahweh is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 Yahweh will keep you from all evil. He will keep your soul.
8 Yahweh will keep your going out and your coming in, from this time forward, and forever more.
Reflection prompts
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Verse 1 begins, "I will lift up my eyes to the hills." Where do your eyes usually go when you are worried at night: the ceiling, your phone, the clock? Write about what it might look like to lift your eyes instead.
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The psalm asks, "Where does my help come from?" Make an honest list of the places you have looked for help this week. Then write a short prayer about the ones you are ready to set down.
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Verse 2 names Yahweh as the one "who made heaven and earth." Think of one small, ordinary thing you saw today, like a sky, a tree outside your window or a cup of tea. Write about how it feels to bring your worries to the one who made it.
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Verse 3 says, "He who keeps you will not slumber." What are you trying to keep watch over tonight that keeps you awake? Write it down, and then write a prayer handing it over for the hours you sleep.
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Verse 5 calls Yahweh "your shade on your right hand." Where in your life do you feel the heat right now, the pressure or the glare? Write to God about the shade you are longing for.
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Verse 6 mentions both the sun "by day" and the moon "by night." Which is harder for you lately, the busy daylight hours or the long quiet of the night? Describe one moment from each, and pray about both.
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Verse 7 says, "He will keep your soul." Picture your soul as something being carefully held while you rest. Write about what you would want to say to God before you fall asleep tonight.
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Verse 8 speaks of "your going out and your coming in." Look back over today, from the moment you left your bed to the moment you came back to it. Write a prayer of thanks, or of honest asking, for each part of it.