Eld Chew Chong Kiat

1.   God my Helper (vv. 1–2)

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”

What a Helper we have! Who has pledged to be our Helper?

It is the LORD—the covenant name of God that assures His people He is their Redeemer, their God, their Protector, and, as this psalm emphasizes, their Helper. This name is meant to stir faith within us! The psalmist repeats it five times in just a few verses, reminding us that the LORD is the self-existent, eternal One—unchanging, unfailing, and ever near to His people.

When we see the wonders of architecture or human inventions, we are impressed by the greatness of the builder or designer. When we behold the heaven and the earth, let us think upon their Maker in like manner! The psalmist points us to the hills—not with superstition, but so that their majesty might remind us of the greatness of the LORD who made heaven and earth, stirring our faith in His power and wisdom.

Consider also the permanence of the hills—as though they stand unmoved and unchanging through the ages. Yet the LORD our Helper is even more sure, for He is everlasting and immutable:

“For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee” (Isaiah 54:10).

When the hills are shaken and vanish away, still God remains—faithful and unchanging. If He has promised to help, why doubt? Why fret? We need not many helpers, but only One. Look to Him with expectancy, cast your cares upon Him, and be at peace.

2.   God my Keeper (vv. 3–6)

“He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.”

Our Helper is also a wonderful Keeper! He keeps us by placing a hedge of protection around us, so that no harm can break through. The glorious truth is this: the Keeper Himself is the hedge! Before anything can touch us, it must first overcome Him, which is impossible!

His keeping is comprehensive—a shade by day and by night. He neither slumbers nor sleeps. He is the best of all watchers, who never lets down His guard. No enemy, no thief can surprise Him. It is said that Alexander the Great feared to be assassinated in his sleep, until his friend Parmenio watched over him; his trust in his friend gave him rest. How much more may we sleep securely, for our God is our Keeper who never slumbers!

The word “Behold” (v. 4) calls us to marvel at this privilege: the LORD Himself is our Keeper! He guards His people better than a rich man guards his treasure, better than a captain guards a city, better than a sentry guards his king. Let us entrust our souls to His keeping hands.

3.   God my Preserver (vv. 7–8)

“The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”

Our Preserver is the LORD! The Hebrew word translated as preserve is the same word elsewhere rendered keep (vv. 3–5). Here it emphasizes God retaining us in our original state—while keep stresses guarding from external harm. Together they assure us that the LORD both guards and preserves His people. Once saved from wrath to be His own, we are always safe in His preservation.

And to what extent does this preservation reach? From all evil. Not some—all.

Joseph testified in Genesis 50:20: “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” Yes, “bad things” may happen, but God allows them only to bring forth good (Romans 8:28). He never fails to preserve His own, and to keep us from falling (Jude 24). Thus we pray: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen” (Matthew 6:13).

First SARS, then COVID and countless near misses throughout our lives, many of us have witnessed how the LORD had kept and preserved us. The promise is comprehensive: “The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in.” This means more than simply leaving or returning home safe; it speaks of God’s comprehensive care in every circumstance—whether at home where we feel secure, or abroad where danger lurks. Through the whole course of life, by day and by night, He will preserve us until we are brought safely home to heaven—not one shall be lost.

And He will do so “from this time forth, and even for evermore.” It is not that the past was luck or chance, but that we now recognize His hand preserving us all along till we acknowledge Him as our God. Just as He has done faithfully in the past, He will continue into eternity. “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

Conclusion

Thank God for our wonderful and unfailing God:

• God my Helper (vv. 1–2)
• God my Keeper (vv. 3–6)
• God my Preserver (vv. 7–8)