‘My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.’ Psalm 121:2-4

In our evening services of late we have considered some of the psalms including some of the psalms of ascent that were used by the people of God as they made their pilgrimage to the city of Jerusalem. We recently considered psalm 122 which talks of the joy that comes from seeing and being inside Jerusalem’s walls and finally being near the house of the Lord but the psalm above also a psalm of ascent looks to the earlier time of looking to the journey ahead. The words not only speak to the physical journey that had to be undertaken but speaks to life’s journey as well.

As it gets to that time of year when the weather improves, when holidays are taken whether at home or abroad, when the organisations of the church stop for a time and we seek to enjoy the longer days and lighter nights it is good to remember that we serve a God who never sleeps nor slumbers. Even as we enjoy the good weather and some time for ourselves the old fears can creep in, the lingering struggles persist and new troubles arise along life’s journey yet we can take comfort that whilst we rest and recuperate or take time away, that the God we serve is still at work. He continues to sustain the world around us, He continues to pour out his grace, listen to the prayers of His people, comfort the hurting, give hope to the lost and so much more besides. We, in our finite bodies, weary, we falter and we fail. However the God of the universe, the God we serve, never wearies and needs to take a break from the cries of His people, He never needs to go on holiday to recharge His batteries, never sleeps as we lay down our heads each night. If we wake through the night He is there, if we struggle in the business or the quietness of the day He is there and when we reach the end of our own strength and understanding He is there. May you know times of rest in the Lords service and may you find comfort in the truths of these verses. May you know God’s blessing over the summer months and beyond.

Gordon