Bodyguards, private protection officers, security personnel — they all have one common goal, and that’s to keep you safe from harm. These highly trained individuals act as extra eyes and ears to pay attention to everything going on, ensuring your protection, no matter what dangers lie ahead. High-profile business leaders and celebrities gain peace of mind from employing these services. But according to Psalm 121, everyone who walks with God already has their own personal bodyguard—the LORD God Himself! In this second of the “Songs of Ascent” (Psalms 120-134), the psalmist is climbing the hills on his way to the temple in Jerusalem. Protection was a constant concern for pilgrims traveling this difficult path through lonely territory. But as he looks up at the mountains surrounding him on the upward journey, the psalmist pauses to consider the God who made them. What is there to fear if the Creator has him under constant surveillance? It is from the LORD that he will receive help that is both personal and powerful (v 1-2). Unlike a human bodyguard, the LORD takes no breaks for sleep. He watches over every step that we take, serving as our protector at all times and in all circumstances. Nothing can distract or interrupt the maker of heaven and earth from His commitment to be the keeper of Israel. He will never grow tired or bored as He stands guard over all His children (v 3-4). Every single Israelite was to recognize that this privileged position belonged to him or her. “The LORD is your keeper,” and He is not simply watching over you from the distant mountains; He is as close as your right hand! Providing “shade” as a needed relief, God’s protection is as refreshing as it is complete. “It avails against the known and the unknown; perils of day and night; the most overpowering of forces and the most insidious” (Derek Kidner; v 5-6). The promises only expand and intensify as the psalm comes to a close. When it says, “The LORD will keep you from all evil,” we know from the rest of Scripture that this is no guarantee of a trouble-free life. The point is not that we won’t have problems, but that God will keep us safe as we go through them. No injury, illness, accident, or distress will happen apart from the LORD’s sovereign will, and none of these threats will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ our Lord. His comprehensive care will be yours throughout your earthly journey and beyond—day and night, your whole life, in all you do, “from this time forth and forevermore” (v 7-8). For further meditation: