A watch that never ends

God guards you from every evil, he guards your very life. He guards you when you leave and when you return, he guards you now, he guards you always. (Psalm 121:7-8 MSG)

Every evil - not just some of them; not just the ones we know about; all of them! We might not even realize his protection over our lives but we can rest assured that he is 'on guard'. When we leave, or when we return - his watchfulness doesn't abandon us - there are no 'blind spots' with him. His protection outlasts our 'battle readiness'. There is no greater or safer place to be than under the shadow of his wings. When we forget this, we begin to panic as life comes our way. When we begin to doubt this, panic sets its course on full-fledged fear. The antidote to panic and fear is the recounting of his faithfulness through all generations and even into today!

What does it mean to have God guard us from every evil? It means that the evil from without and even that which eminates from within our very own hearts or minds has no ability to stand against us. He is the one in the 'command center' - his watch never ends. As a member of the military, I stood 'watch' on several occasions. It seemed a little bit silly in peaceful times, but it taught me a valuable lesson. All battles begin within peaceful times! The ground grows less and less secure until one day the battle erupts. Without warning, we can be overwhelmed by our enemy, so we need to be on the 'ready' or 'alert'. Peaceful times can mask hidden battles brewing!

The 'watch' of our God isn't like the watch I pulled, though. He isn't guarding a motorpool - he is guarding our lives. Our souls - mind, will, emotions - all are guarded when we allow him control. There were times when I just didn't feel 'up to' guarding the motorpool. I wanted to sleep! Those 8 hours at the end of a long day were usually my sleep time, but guard duty meant no sleep. I had to put in the extra hours, but was I at my best? Nope. The good news is that when we are not at our best, he is! There is nothing he overlooks when it comes to caring for us. Inner peace may elude us on occasion, but when doubt begins to mount an attack, we can be assured that he will come against it with the full force of heaven.

Our leaving and our returning - his watchfulness is upon us and with us. Upon us because we don't see what comes next. With us because he knows we will face tough places where we will need extra strength. Guarded now and forever - no end to his protection. We might attempt to walk away or ahead of him, but he will always be with us. He desires for us to realize the need for a 'guard' over our lives. We might resist his presence on occasion, choosing to follow our own path out of stubborn disobedience, but he doesn't abandon us just because we are determined to have our own way. Even in the midst of our sinfulness, he sets his watchful eye upon us, urging us to return quickly to the protection of his wings. Just saying!