1. I will lift up my eyes to the hills;
From where shall my help come?
2. My help comes from the Lord,
The Maker of heaven and earth.
3. He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4. Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.
5. The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
— Psalm 121:1-5
In the Bible “the right hand” is the place of exalting. To have the Lord on our right hand means that we exalt Him. It means that we say, “Now You really are my Lord.”
At the beginning of this psalm the writer lifted up his eyes to the hills for help (v. 1). This was actually still quite low. But now he has grown to the point where the Lord is at his right hand. The Lord is exalted.
When we have a proper understanding of the Lord’s keeping (v. 4) we will know how to exalt Him. Then He will be at our right hand, where He becomes our shade. When we exalt the Lord and give Him the highest place, He becomes “the shade at our right hand” (v. 5). He becomes our rest. Not only are we kept by Him, but He gives us grace, mercy, comfort, and strength. Our whole life becomes one of enjoyment because we have exalted Him.
Adapted from The Journey of Life, page 20-21.
Tomorrow: “Knowing the World and the Lord” (Psalm 121:5-8).