Psalm 121

"My help comes from the LORD who made heaven and earth." Psalm 121.2

I couldn’t believe the headline this morning, Congress, in trying to master the deficit, is considering slashing defense spending by 50%! They are proposing that all our Armed Services go part-time. On even days we will all be well protected, but on odd days soldiers and sailors will be working at McDonald’s or Wal-Mart. You know I’m joking of course. A part-time defense is no defense. Now, don’t jump to wrong conclusions, I am not about to compose some hawkish diatribe to justify profligate defense spending.

You know, it would have been comforting for the residents of the city of Jerusalem to look up at the hills surrounding the city and see the armies of Israel keeping watch 24-7.(Verse 1) But the author of Psalm 121 took far greater comfort in the knowledge that he was protected by the One who made the hills themselves.(2) And Psalm 121, the second of the great “marching songs” of ancient Israel, was a reminder that, regardless of how much, or how little, the nation’s kings spent on defense, in the end it was God alone who shielded the country.

God holds the line, we never have to worry about retreating so much as one footstep with the Lord.(3a) And with God there is never a question of anything less than complete, around the clock, vigilance. Israel’s defender, and ours, never rests or nods off.(3b-4) It does not matter if it is noon or midnight, God is there shielding us.(5-6)

Evil may be rampant in the world. Peoples and nations may plot our demise. It matters not, because God keeps between us and evil, guarding each precious life of his saints.(7) From now until forever, the Lord watches over all our comings and goings.(8)

All this is not to suggest that we do Congress one better and slash defense spending 100% to rely on the Lord. God puts the sword in the hands of those in authority for our protection, and to turn back and punish evil. (See Romans 13) But a national defense budget, regardless of its size, is wasted on a nation that rejects God. Would that when we look to the hills our comfort would not come from the size of our armies manning their posts, but from knowing that God is watching over us. I could march to that tune all day.