Howdy,
I know I’ve done a couple of these Sunday Scripture series posts recently, but I figure when it comes to Scripture verses there’s a storehouse of riches in the Bible to choose from—material shouldn’t be a problem.
I won’t even always have to lean on my “FAVORITES” in my ESV Bible app to find them, but today I did, and I’m going with: Psalms 121.
The whole psalm.
There are a lot of Psalms—150—and many of them are so good. (And, of course, beyond that, beyond them being “good,” they are all God’s Word and have their purpose, their inspired purpose, so they’re all “good.”)
Clicking that favorite, I knew I had to type out the whole of Psalm 121. For two main reasons: 1) It’s always been a favorite one—so strong, and 2) it took on extra meaning when the late Dr. Tom Johnson adopted Psalm 121 as a life verse when faced with the real threat of death.
Dr. Johnson, or, as most people in our church or around town who knew him, just Tom, was so humble, a learned learner; a helping helper; a leading leader; a serving servant; a discipling disciple; and probably other touching and personal things to others who knew him. It’s seems to me that so many people probably felt that Tom Johnson knew and cared for them, in a way that was special.
Battling the cancer that would ultimately take him to heaven, the Johnsons had rubber bracelets made up and passed out, as reminders for his family and friends and the fellowship and family of God to pray for Tom. The imprint on the bracelets included the reference: Psalm 121.
(Caption: “My Help Comes from the LORD”)
“I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
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.
The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all evil;
He will keep your life.
The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.”
We miss Dr. Tom Johnson. He is with his LORD, his Keeper Forevermore, and I believe fully healed and restored Tom would wish us a holy, healthy, and happy Sunday.
—Billy
Reading. Writing. Living.
Word Count: 162,639 / On Pace: 161,700 / Year’s Goal: 200,000
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