A people in fear & the security in a psalm

We have community meetings twice a week here on the ship. This is not only a time of reports and announcements, but a time where we gather as a community, as a family, to hear from God's Word together. This morning the speaker highlighted Psalm 121. I want to share some of the things shared, because it has given me a new perspective/ light on the psalm. This is what I took away (very simply explained & paraphrased)...

Voodoo is the mot widely believed/practiced traditional religion in Benin (the country we will be ministering to next outreach). 30-40% are Christians, and 100% believe in voodoo--that pretty much explains the worldview of its people. Voodoo is the belief of many gods that are everywhere who control your fate, what happens to you. So, you spend your life trying to appease these gods, to make them happy so to keep bad things from happening. They believe, for example, that the sun and the moon are gods, hence the expression of what happens when there is a full moon, and the term "lunatic." In essence they live in fear--fear of what will happen if they anger the gods.

We then read the hope and security David writes of in Psalm 121. God alone is God and He is our shield of safety and our protector.

Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills --where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord, 

the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip--

he who watches over you will not slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you--the Lord is our shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm--

he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.

Praise the Lord!!!