| “The Lord will keep you from all harm…” |
| —Psalm 121:7a |
The very first time I ventured out to ride my bicycle from my home to my grandmother’s house—a distance of about four miles—I was about ten years old. It was a much safer time for kids back in 1957 than it is today. I spent a lot of time riding my bike in the neighborhood, but I had never ridden quite so far from home.
I had discussed the route I would take with my dad. I had chosen mostly side streets to avoid as much heavy traffic as possible. I confess that while I very much wanted to prove my independence, I was also a little scared about any dogs I might encounter along the way. You see at age six while I was walking home from school, I had been attacked and bitten by a rabid dog. After enduring the dreaded rabies shots in my abdomen, I had a real fear of dogs. Nevertheless, I launched out on my adventure and, in due time, I arrived at my grandma’s house.
A few minutes after I arrived, my dad walked through the door. I was glad to see him, but more than a little puzzled. As he talked to me about my journey, I began to realize that all the time I pedaled my way across the city, my dad had discreetly followed me in his car. He had allowed me to experience this new adventure, but he was watching over me the entire time. So it is with our heavenly Father. The Psalmist wrote these words in Psalm 121:7-8:
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.
God gives us the freedom to launch out each new day onto the pathway of life. We get to choose the route we will take. He offers guidance in His written Word—the Bible—but we make the decision as to whether or not we will obediently follow His direction.
As we proceed through each day, God lovingly watches over us. He knows where we are at all times. He anticipates our needs and stands ready to rush to our aid.
Yes, while God may allow us to learn critically important lessons along the way—He even lets us taste the consequences of our wrong choices—we are never out of His sight. We cannot hide from Him. God watches over us. And that, dear ones, is a very great blessing, indeed.
Based on a blog originally posted on Thursday, July 7, 2016
