God Is Our Keeper
Dr. Charles Stanley recounts a deeply personal experience from December 1977 when he was exhausted, weary, discouraged, and fearful while taking an enforced three-month break from preaching. During a difficult, reflective walk in West Virginia, he opened his Bible, seeking a specific word from God. He found solace in Psalm 121, which revealed the practical and eternal truth that “God Is Our Keeper”.
Stanley emphasizes that this message offers specific and practical guidance for everyone, regardless of their circumstances. The profound realization that God was his keeper—even amid pain and uncertainty—lightened his heart, though his physical body felt just as heavy and tired.
The Source of Our Help: Jehovah God (Yahweh)
The Psalmist begins by looking toward the mountains (or hills) and asking, “From whence shall my help come?”. Stanley notes that the mountains often housed robbers, vagabonds, and thieves who took advantage of innocent travelers, suggesting the Psalmist may have viewed the mountains with anxiety. This anxiety mirrors how people look into the future and see only uncertainty and fear.
The answer to the question of help is immediate and clear: “My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth”.
The term used for the Lord is the Hebrew word “Yahweh,” or “Jehovah,” defining God as:
- Infinite in wisdom.
- Absolute in power.
- Unwavering in His faithfulness.
Stanley notes that King David, likely the author of this Psalm, spoke from awesome experience, having faced numerous battles, warfare, persecution (running from Saul), and personal trials. David learned he could not rely on people, family, or friends, who often failed to be there when needed or even became enemies. Only God can promise, “I will be there no matter what,” in every circumstance, situation, and need.
Everything the Psalmist states rests on the foundation of knowing who God is.
God’s Keeping Power: Attentive, Alert, and Protective
Stanley then dissects the practical ways God acts as our Keeper, demonstrating His continuous involvement in every facet of a believer’s life.
1. God is Attentive: He Keeps Our Foot from Slipping
The promise, “He will not allow your foot to slip,” is God’s way of saying He is “very, very attentive” to us.
- Guidance and Care: God is observing where we step, our sense of direction, and the path we are on, expressing His care for how and where we walk.
- Protection in Treacherous Times: David frequently walked in mountains and treacherous areas. This promise means that when believers walk through difficult, uncontrollable, or dark times—when they are on the “precipices of life” and unsure of their decisions—God keeps their foot from slipping.
- Staying on the Path: This is a promise that God will keep us on the path. If a person chooses to willfully and deliberately disobey God and “step off the cliff,” God’s keeping power is not necessarily going to prevent it. When we walk in God’s will, even through potholes, trenches, or narrow ways, God, as our Keeper, sustains us, especially when we “cannot see [our] way clear”.
2. God is Alert: He Will Not Slumber Nor Sleep
The Psalmist declares: “He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep”.
- Eternal Awareness: Unlike humans who get tired, weary, and worn out and must sleep, God “never sleeps” and is eternally alert.
- Foreknowledge and Oversight: God’s eye is eternally upon us; He is alert to every single aspect of our life. He sees things coming in our lives before we see them and knows the future. His continuous alertness confirms that He will never leave us nor forsake us.
