Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
Our reading of Psalm 121 reminds us just how practical the Lord is. We think about how we are empowered by God’s mercy and grace to do great things. But what will make us fall apart? Enemies in the hills. Sleep. Blazing sun. Moon rays! That last one makes me chuckle, but then I recall that the English word “lunatic” literally means “struck by the moon,” meaning by its rays. Is this right? God protects his people from forces that we are highly likely to minimize.
Maybe we are afraid of the criminals hiding in the caves in the hills. We’ll usually grant that. Those criminals are kind of dangerous.
But the sunshine? Have you ever been in the blazing, direct sunlight from sunup to sundown, especially somewhere hot? Even if it isn’t hot, you can get a serious sunburn and, if that extends too far across your body, it can be life threatening. The blazing sun is dangerous and it will humble all of us.
Well, what if we are young and strong. Maybe we can avoid being harmed by the sun. Can we stay awake forever? When I was young I used to enjoy the effect of staying up very late to study or work on a special project. My limit was normally about 4 a.m. Now that I am in my fifties, I can have the same effects by staying up to 11 p.m. Fatigue, irritability the next day, strong need for sleep, even falling asleep on my desk. I have become quite proficient!
I guess that’s why moon rays are so dangerous. As I learn to be tired earlier in the evening, really, once I see the moon, maybe it’s time for a nap. We come to the end of ourselves and our resources. Even little things like the rays of the moon can strike us down. Who will we trust? It better be the Lord. He will keep our going out and our coming in, forever.
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