Secure in the Everlasting Arms of God—Psalm 122

Secure in the Everlasting Arms of God 

Psalm 122

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,

Leaning on the everlasting arms?

I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Psalm 122 continues the Psalms of Ascent. Written by David, this psalm focuses on the beloved city of Jerusalem. The singers have arrived in the city, the place where people from the twelve tribes would gather as one 3 times a year. It was the political and spiritual centre, and the place where justice was administered and upheld. The king resided there as well as God’s temple. In these verses, David calls the people to pray for the peace, security, and prosperity of Jerusalem. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! ‘May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!’” (Psalm 122:6-7)

Peace and security may seem like an illusion in such an uncertain world. In the days of the Israelites, surrounded by nations larger and mightier than they, what peace and security could they count on? In our day, with innumerable threats to our lives, our joy, our mental and emotional health, what peace and security can we expect? Our peace and security must not rest in a place, a circumstance, or a change of events, but solely in a Person, our eternal God. When Moses was about to die, he blessed Israel, ending with these words, which give us five solid reasons why we can be secure:

“There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty. The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before you and said, ‘Destroy.’ So Israel lived in safety, Jacob lived alone, in a land of grain and wine, whose heavens drop down dew. Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the shield of your help, and the sword of your triumph! Your enemies shall come fawning to you, and you shall tread upon their backs”(Deuteronomy‬ ‭33‬:‭26‬-‭29‬). 

First, our God rides through the heavens to our help. I love that imagery. Our God is a mighty warrior. He comes to our aid time and time again. We have the blood-bought privilege to boldly draw near to His throne of grace in order to receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). He wants us to pour out our hearts before Him (Psalm 62:8). Like Hannah, who in bitterness of soul and sorrow of spirit, prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish asking for the Lord to look on her affliction, we too can pour out our souls to the Lord for His help. He is always a very present help in time of need (Psalm 46:1).

Next, our eternal God is our refuge and underneath us are His everlasting arms. Israel could rest securely because God was their dwelling place, their refuge. A refuge is a place of safety and protection. A place where there is freedom from fear and anxiety. Our place of safety and protection is our eternal God, the One who has always been and will ever be. But I also wondered what other attribute of God we could use that would encourage us that God is our refuge at the very point of our need? There are so many attributes like omnipotent, just, holy, merciful, sovereign, wise, and faithful. The omnipotent God is your refuge. The faithful God is your refuge. The God of all comfort is your refuge. A key component to finding security in Him is that we must come to Him in trust, confident in Him, relying on Him. We have the comfort of coming to our Lord at all times and in every situation, and again and again we will find Him to be our refuge with His everlasting arms cradling us. Nothing can remove the everlasting arms upon which we rest and take refuge. The song “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” speaks of the blessedness, joy, peace, safety, security, and sweetness that it ours on this pilgrim way as we lean on His everlasting arms.

Third, He thrust out the enemy of our soul. The enemies the Israelites faced were physical nations which they were to drive out in order to possess the land, but the Lord promised to go before them and drive out their enemies. For us, at the incomprehensible cost of His own Son, God has dealt the decisive blow to Satan, death, and sin. We are no longer held captive by Satan’s schemes, subject to the fear of death, or under the power of sin. If God has done that by delivering up His own Son, “will He not with Him freely give us all things” (Romans 8:32)? Are not all the lesser things that we need guaranteed since God has accomplished our forgiveness and justification through the death of His perfect and holy Son? At the greatest cost to Himself our God set us free. We have trusted Him for our eternal salvation, so we can rest securely in Him regardless of our current situations. If we know in whom we have believed, we will be convinced that He is able to guard all that we have entrusted to Him (2 Timothy 1:12). 

Also, even after He has been all these things for us, He pours out His blessings on us. For Israel there would be blessings of harvest abundance and rains in due season. For us, we have the spiritual blessings that are ours in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Every good and perfect gift comes from our Father (James 1:17). We have both temporal and spiritual blessings, but if that were not enough God even turns our difficulties into a blessing. When Israel was heading to the promised land, Balak tried to get the prophet Balaam to curse the Israelites. “But the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam; instead the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loved you” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭23‬:‭5‬). God turned the curse into a blessing. And the things intended by the evil one to be curses to us, God overrules it for our good and our blessing, making our affliction a servant of our eternal glory and joy (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28; 2 Corinthians 4:17). 

Finally, He is our perfect defense, the shield of our help and the sword of our triumph. There is no enemy that can successfully oppose our God. He not only provides us the safety and security of sheltering us, but He also rises up for our defense and covers us with Himself as a shield and fights for us. That does not always mean inactivity on our part, but there are times when we must simply watch and pray for the Lord to deliver. “May the beloved of the Lord dwell in security by Him, Who shields him all the day” (Deuteronomy 33:12 NASB). Even when we are surrounded by trouble, our God keeps us safe, protects us, and causes us to flourish (Psalm 138:7). 

What then have we to dread? “If our God is for us, who can be against us” (Romans 8:31)? In this life, we will always have a loving Father who comes to our help, shelters us and holds us tenderly in His arms, has defeated our enemies, pours out His blessings on us, and rises to our defense. Truly, there is none like this God. 

Let’s pray through Psalm 122 for peace and security within our hearts because we are relying on our eternal God as our refuge.

122:1-2 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! 

Let’s pray:

▫️Lord, I want to fix my eyes firmly on You at all times and to know that You are at my right hand so that I will not be shaken. With You right here with me, my heart can be glad and I dwell securely (Psalm 16:8-9). Right now I am feeling fearful about ________. Remind me of Your ever present help in this time of need. You will help and sustain me.

▫️In this time of uncertainty, help me to wait patiently for You. Incline Your ear to me and hear my cry. Please draw me up from this pit of destruction and set my feet upon a rock, making my footsteps firm (Psalm 40:1-2). At times I feel weary and wavering. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me! (Psalm 40:13)

122:3-5 Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together, to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David. 

Let’s pray:

▫️Lord, You have made it possible for me to approach Your throne of grace with confidence, and You desire for me to make my requests with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6-7). I am thankful for _______. I am also thankful that You, as eternal God, are my refuge. I am comforted also that You are _______ (another attribute). 

▫️Help me to rest in the security of Your everlasting arms. My desire is to rely on You, leaning on You, and to experience the divine joy, sweetness, and blessed peace that comes from abiding in You.

122:6-9 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! “May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!” For my brothers and companions’ sake I will say, “Peace be within you!” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.

Let’s pray:

▫️Thank You for Your peace that You give to me. You are the God of peace and I ask that You continually grant me peace in every circumstance, especially those situations that could elevate my fear and uncertainty. 

▫️There is no one like You, who rides the heavens for my help, makes me dwell in security, shielding me. I am so glad that I can take refuge in You. Be my refuge and shelter in/from __________.

▫️Lord, be the shield of my help. Come to my rescue and bring me to a place of security. While I wait, help me to feel secure in Your steadfast love and faithfulness. You are working even in the waiting. You are turning the curses into blessings, overruling all things for my good and Your glory. 

‭‭May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All right reserved.

Photo credit to mael_balland