Psalms 119:73-77 (NIV)
Your hands made me and formed me;
give me understanding to learn your commands.
May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,
for I have put my hope in your word.
I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous,
and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
May your unfailing love be my comfort,
according to your promise to your servant.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
Psalms 121 (NIV)
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
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.
Devotion
This section of Psalm 119 is really meaningful for me due to all of the reassurance that everything is as it should be and everything will be okay. Immediately the first line of verse 73 fills me with content, as it says that God made me and formed me, which is comforting since it means that God took time to make me who I am. For me, that line is very heartwarming to know that I am me for a reason, and we should all be thankful for our uniqueness instead of being discouraged by it or feeling left out.
Psalm 121 relieves quite a bit of anxiety that is periodic in many lives about being alone. Being alone is terrifying no matter what kind of alone, whether it is not having anyone to hang out with, or standing up for yourself and your beliefs alone. However, the solace you get from knowing that God is always with you is amazing. The first line of verse 5 completely sums up this idea of how God is always with us and is always looking out for us.
This time of year is always a cause of anxiety for me and many others due to general school stress, standardized testing, and for others, college planning or acceptance. Yet I find my calm in knowing that I am made perfectly by God and He is always with me. He is protecting me and guiding me to do what’s right.
Prayer
God, I am so grateful that You are in control. Nothing is impossible for You. Please forgive me for the times I worry and lose sight of your love. Remind me of Your faithfulness and continue to show me evidence of Your presence. Flood my heart with love, and make fear flee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Jackie Hager