May the Lord Guard Your Coming In and Your Going Out
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip- He who watches over you will not slumber;
Indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you- the LORD is your shade at your right hand.
The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm- He will watch over your life;
The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
The LORD will watch over your coming in and going out both now and forevermore.
As we prepare to wrap up 2023 and head into a new year, we likely will look back at what has been and forward to what might come. We cheer the accomplishments and mourn the losses. We keep count of what matters and resolve to do better in the new year to come. We ponder those things that made us laugh and cry and those people whose presence made our year more memorable and meaningful, whether for good or for difficult. We grieve what was lost, or what could have been, but was not. The turn of the calendar is nostalgic and full of hope.
Yet, the change of date, turn of the page and setting of a new calendar year doesn’t change anything. God is constant. He doesn’t need a refresh. He isn’t moved by new starts or resolutions. He always was and always is and always will be.
The photo above shows scripture from Psalm 121. It was found embedded in a mosaic on the floor of an ancient 7th century church in Jerusalem. “May the LORD guard your coming in and your going out.” As the believers traversed the floor, it was a ready reminder of God’s protection and goodness.
What a sweet and powerful blessing to pray over those we love! As we come into 2024 and go out of 2023!
The Lord IS mighty and able to guard us in anything we might face. That’s such a comfort as we step into a new year, isn’t it? The word ‘guard’ in Hebrew is ‘samar’ and it means, “to keep watch, preserve, to hedge about, as with thorns, guard, protect, and attend to”. It’s more than just watchfulness, it’s an all-encompassing protection. When shepherds would care for their flocks, they would construct a hedge or barrier of thorns to keep the sheep safe from predators, especially those who lurked in the darkness. When the Lord guards out going out, He encompasses us on all sides with His powerful protection and His attentive watchfulness, ready to keep us from harm and from the enemy that would seek to destroy us. This world is dark, but our Lord is mighty to guard and protect.
He guards out going out (yasa). In Hebrew it means “to go, bring or lead out, both literally and figuratively. It can also mean to go abroad, send with a commandment, spread, go to and fro.” (2) You see, whether we step out with intention, of maybe we wander a bit, perhaps we receive orders or a call to go somewhere specifically or take a step into something new, God is guarding and guiding. He is good to go and be wherever we are. What a sweet assurance and comforting blessing! No matter where our sons or daughters go…or are sent, our God is with them. We can rest knowing He’s there, even when we cannot be.
God guards our coming in, our ‘bo’ in Hebrew. Bo means “to come, call, carry, enter, fetch, follow, pull in, grant, lead, or send.” God may bring us in willingly, or maybe we are kicking and screaming…either way, our Father is present and active. He grants us entrance into so many things: a new season, a new year, and new opportunities to learn and grow. We may be called, led, carried or pulled, but God is right there. Our going out and our coming in are all in His hands, and we are assured He will guard every step.
The amazing thing is that God’s guarding is not dependent on clock or calendar, nor on our willingness or submission. God is not limited by those things that limit us. He guards both now, right at this present moment and forevermore for all eternity, time without end. Always. Ever. Without fail.
“May the LORD guard your coming in and your going out.”
As we get ready to step into 2024, we don’t know what the year may hold, but it’s certain that some will have great joys and others, deep sorrow. Some may be waiting, and the new year will be a time of expectant hope. Some will recognize blessings overflowing while others may have abundant blessings, yet not recognize them for what they are. There may be peace and joy or pain and longing. But there is one constant of which we can be assured. The Great I AM. Jehovah- the Existing One. Our God is steady and unchanging. Though the calendar may change, and the weeks and months fly by, God remains ever present and watchful, always providing and protecting. Nothing surprises Him or catches Him off guard. There is nothing out of His reach or too strong for His mighty hand and outstretched arm to overcome. Long before December 31, 2023, arrived, He knew what the day would hold and the year leading up to it. And when we wake to see His new creation of January 1, 2024, we can know we are watching God fulfill His plan, set in motion before the world began, for that good day.
Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
The calendar shouldn’t determine how we approach the next day or the next year, God is our portion forever. Forever! Though a new year will bring something new, our God is the Ancient of Days. The LORD will watch over our coming in and our going out both now and forevermore. Forevermore!! Change is inevitable, but our Lord is unchanging and always present. He is good and we can trust Him to work and do what is for our good and His glory. Let’s not look to the ‘ball’ that drops as the sign that a new year will bring hope and good change. Let’s look to the Lord who stands, ever present and strong.
“My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip- He who watches over you will not slumber; Indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you- the LORD is your shade at your right hand- The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm- He will watch over your life; The LORD will watch over your coming in and going out both now and forevermore.” Psalm 121
Today, let’s pray for our loved ones as we welcome the new year. Pray that what is behind doesn’t define or derail them. Pray that what is ahead is powerfully held in the mighty hands of the Father and that they trust His strong grip on their life. Pray that they look to the Lord for their strength and hope. Pray that the Lord would watch over their going out of 2023 and their coming into 2024 and would keep them ever pursuing Him, following His steps carefully and listening to His voice attentively, a sheep of His pasture, eager to be His child, surrounded by His watchful care.
“May the LORD guard your coming in and your going out.”
What a generous blessing to pray over our loved ones!!
Pray without ceasing.
1. H8104 - šāmar - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h8104/kjv/wlc/0-1/
2. H3318 - yāṣā' - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3318/kjv/wlc/0-1/
3. H935 - bô' - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h935/kjv/wlc/0-1/