I lift up my eyes to the hills—
from where will 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.
He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade at 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 on and forevermore
Questions
1. Before you read each day, pray to God and invite God to be present in your study and reflection. What is God showing you today in the psalms? Is there a specific verse or word that stands out to you? How will you carry this through your day in thought, word, and action?
2. What are ideas and themes that appear in the “introduction” to the Book of Psalms (Psalms 1 and 2)? Write these down. As we read in the coming weeks, take note of when they appear in other psalms and categories.
3. As you begin your Lenten devotional, try different ways of reading that will make it easy to reserve time for daily exercise. Try reading the devotional at different times of day to see what you enjoy and works in your life. You can read the psalm out loud, silently, or listen to an audio version. Invite a friend or family member to read with you and discuss what it says to you. You can use these throughout Lent.
4. When we read scripture that is very familiar to us, there is a temptation to glance at it or read it quickly. Take extra time to read these psalms and their words to us today. Try reading the psalm in a different translation or read it out loud to yourself.