Preserved in going out and coming in
“The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”Psalm 121:7-8
Reflection
Psalm 121 is a pilgrim song, sung by those who went up to Jerusalem, crossing difficult and dangerous roads. The first verse asks: "From whence cometh my help?", and the ending answers with a sequence of promises of keeping. In verses 7 and 8, the refrain intensifies: "The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore." The word "preserve" appears three times in two verses. It is as if God insisted on repeating: I care for you.
Notice the things God preserves. First, "from all evil": it does not mean that no difficulty will reach us, but that no evil can destroy us. Then, "thy soul": the essence of who we are, our inner life, what is most precious. Even if the body passes through afflictions, the soul is safe in God's hands. And finally, "thy going out and thy coming in": an expression that covers all the movements of daily life, everything we do on leaving home and on returning, on starting and finishing tasks, on going and coming.
That image is lovely because it covers the everyday. We leave home for work, school, the street, traffic, a trip. And we return. At every exit and every entrance there are risks, unexpected events, encounters. Many of us carry, without noticing, a tension that something bad may happen. The psalm tells us there is Someone who watches over these ordinary crossings. The same God who kept pilgrims on dusty roads keeps you in the streets of your city. And the reach is wide: "from this time forth, and even for evermore", a keeping that has no expiry date.
Make this a habit of faith. When leaving home today, pause at the door for a moment and pray this verse: "Lord, preserve my going out and my coming in". Do the same for your loved ones, handing to God the children going to school, the spouse going to work, the relatives traveling. And, on returning, give thanks: "Thank You for keeping me". Whoever lives this way trades the anxiety of the road for the confidence of someone who knows they are accompanied. You go out and come in kept by the One who never slumbers.
Prayer
Lord, thank You that You preserve my going out and my coming in, now and forevermore. Keep me from all evil, keep my soul and the souls of those I love. Teach me to trust You in every crossing of the day, and to give thanks for every return home. I rest in Your keeping. Amen.
Put it into practice
When leaving home today, pause at the door and pray this verse, handing your day and your loved ones to God. On returning, thank God for keeping you. Make this a habit through this week.
To reflect on
Which "goings out and comings in" of your daily life (yours and those you love) need to be handed to the Lord's keeping?
Bible text: King James Version (public domain).