Day 23 "Eat Honey"

Just as we have guest speakers on the odd occasion, I have invited a “Guest Blogger” to write a post for me today! Hope you enjoy Shanice’s reflections as she writes on today’s reading of Proverbs 21-31.

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“The beginning of this part of Proverbs reminds us of one really important thing, of how God sees the heart. It is a lesson to remember how God looks at the heart and not the outward appearance and for us to the same with others. That we are to keep our hearts pure.

The reoccurring themes of richness stood out to me.

Do not wear yourself out to get rich: have the wisdom to show restraint (Chp 23, v.4)

It makes me think about how we as students measure richness and success, that we want to get a degree in university, and to secure a job and to be able to do the things we want to do in life. 

Chapter 30 verses 8 and 9 is really interesting, which can act as a prayer for us, who are thinking of our future and the paths we are to take. It asks for God for what is sufficient, our daily bread: that we might not grow to rich and disown God or to poor and steal. We are to rely and trust God with his providence and that he knows what we need. In these times when majority to of the news says that jobs are tight, we as children of God are to know what the God who cares for the sparrows cares more so for us.

Proverb comes alive with lovely imagery of nature, and things that we know of.  With King Solomon comparing wisdom to the sweetness of honey. So we conclude this chapter of Proverbs with the blessing for everyone to eat sweet honey.

Eat Honey. May the wisdom of the Bible be as sweet to your soul.”

by Shanice Sim.

Day 22 "Book of Wisdom"

           My last post, the Wisdom vs. Folly battle, depicts in the picture the temptations of folly and the call of wisdom. In the world, we can only walk down one path, one serve one master, only choose one truth. In the picture, the man is faced with two paths, the narrow, and the wide. In the narrow, Wisdom calls. She is beautiful and pure, and offers feasts of blessing. But at the entrance of destruction sits Folly, in seducing clothes and charm. Attracted by the things of the world, the man lusts after the enticements of Folly. He forgets his precious commitment, and the blessings of Wisdom, but rather believes in the attractive lies of Folly. Before he knows it, he is entangled in her vines of gradual destruction, pulling him farther and farther into darkness. He no longer sees what stumbles him, or the shadows that engulf him. He doesn’t see the traps beneath his feet, or the bloody dagger beside her. Her sweet breath intoxicates him, and her touch lulls him in. His heart is entangled in her web of lies. Wisdom cries out to him in despair, trying to warn him, reminding him of her instruction of righteousness that leads to blessings and life. She offers him protection, honor, a pure and whole heart, and life. But he no longer hears her voice, and ignores her instruction. Vines entangle him, and he hears, and sees no more.

Relate that to our lives today, how many of us conform to the whims and pleasures of the world, ignoring instruction and understanding of the wise? Which is more attractive to us? What the world offers or what God offers?

....

Wisdom is an increased understanding and application of good living, and for us is through the fear of God in righteousness. Folly is disillusioned confidence in themselves and the world, and the rejection of God and good instruction. Through chapter 10-20, there are many recurring lessons or skills of wisdom, such as honor your parents, be careful with what you say, appreciate and learn from correction and rebuke, don’t be proud, always seek truth, stay away from Folly, work hard and talk less, be faithful to your wife and King, and more. It is definitely a book of wisdom to read and apply! But remember, God is the source of wisdom, seek Him and you will find Wisdom!

Though the passages seems to have more random themes running through, I find that the same scenario applies. Treasure Wisdom; it holds unlimited blessings, and is the path to life! Foolishness and Wickedness, though seemingly harmless or attractive, will always bring ruin and destruction!

Day 21 "The Wisdom vs. Folly Battle"

So today I listened to the audio reading of Proverbs 1-10, and decided to draw out my visual of the reading. So here it is! Kinda rough, but it captured it for me. Feel free to try interpreting it or sharing thoughts.

As of what my personal interpretation was, i'll leave that to the next post. :)

"The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness, 
they do not know what makes them stumble." 

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life". 

[Proverbs 
4:18-19,23]

Day 21, Proverbs 1-9: To whom/Whom do we listen?

Proverbs is in many ways such a practical guide to life that it has been said many times that if you know the proverbs well, there is an answer for any situation you come across. Now, people will also nit-pick this generalisation, but I do believe the principle holds. Certainly not every situation is covered in detail, but the principles exhorted within these pages can be used to identify foolish and wise paths in any decision, though there may be multiple paths in each category.

The Proverbs are divided in a few sections, or collections. The passage, chapters 1-9, under study today is direct writings from Solomon, known in Scripture as the wisest man who lived - We'll see him again when we look through Kings. He did not always live wisely, but God did grant him exceptional knowledge of wisdom - and his example does show us the necessity of applying the wisdom we learn, and not just leaving it as head knowledge.
This section seems especially directed at the young - those finding out about life, going out on their own, making their own decisions, and their own mistakes. It is personal, loving and caring, from the perspective of one wise in years seeking to guide the youth and prevent his (or her) falling into trouble by giving them the tools to know good paths and bad. "My son" is used 23 times in Proverbs, 15 of these times it is this first section. Wisdom (evidently) is the focus of the book, mentioned 54 times, 24 times in this first 9 chapters.

Here is the purpose of the advice:

To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;  (Pro 1:2)

To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;  (Pro 1:3)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.  (Pro 1:7)

So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;  (Pro 2:2)

For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.  (Pro 2:6)

When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;  (Pro 2:10)

Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.  (Pro 4:5)

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.  (Pro 4:7)

For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.  (Pro 8:11)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.  (Pro 9:10)

Listing one more statistic: "hear" or "attend" is also used 15 times in this section, and to me, reading through, this was the main theme of the section. To whom do we listen? Do we listen to wisdom - or reject the advice of wisdom and go our own way? Do we listen to the enticements of folly - it seems clear in the examples when we read it in the page, but how often in my own life do I stop to listen or consider going down a path I know is going to just tempt me more?

I just watched a movie on TV tonight - 'Amoured' - about a new security guard roped in to participate in robbing an armoured car and lie about it, saying they were hijacked when they actually stole the money themselves. Of course there are plot twists etc., but rather than go into that, I'll just dwell on his entering into the situation. At first he rejects their offer, but he is in a tight spot at home, and social services is on his case about his younger brother (parents died recently) skipping school, and threatening to take his brother away. This convinces him to risk it provided 'no one gets hurt'. But by 'walking in the way with them', he ends up caught up in much more, and finds it a trap that he can't get out of.
In the case of this movie, the situation brings in physical isolation to prevent his going to help, but there are many examples where we can get into situations where having 'tested the waters', we are suddenly in too deep to get out without looking bad, so we end up staying in the water, perhaps unwillingly at first, but drawn deeper and deeper because it is easier to go along with it than try to get out, and then we are trapped. Interesting to think about in the context of what we were reading.

My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.  (Pro 1:10)

There are a number of things that keep coming up in these wisdom principles in the passage. What we say is a major theme, which then splits into deliberate deceit, promises, and generally how we speak.

Deceit and lying is included in the list of the things the 'Lord hates', and rightly so! How much trouble is caused by people deceiving each other! While I thought of this topic, I was reminded of a conversation I had in the hostel about 'brutal honesty'. There is a perception that lies are necessary for a functioning society, and that to be honest, you have to speak your mind about anything and everything without regard to the hurt or feelings of others. But this is an incorrect and just as wrong extreme... this expression shows pride and arrogance more than true honesty. Instead, we should seek to build each other up with our words. We can be honest while being tactful - choosing whether it is wise to say something, or if it more helpful to leave it unspoken. That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.  (Pro 5:2)

How we speak shows our love to our neighbours, also... lying to them, spreading discord (gossip), bearing false witness... none of these show love, but are generally motivated by our own pride and self-interest. It is something I am mindful to be careful of with some of my friends, because I know their tendency to bad-mouth people they know, and I need to be careful not to encourage malicious talk - sometimes there are accurate criticisms of how someone works, but more often it is just dislike of the person or how they act, which is sad.

There are also points about being careful what you pledge your word for - today  giving your word seems to mean a lot less, but it is important for us as Christians to indeed say what we mean, and not give our pledge lightly. If we have found we have given a pledge unwisely, it is best to rectify the situation as soon as possible.

Finally, I cannot leave this section without considering sexual passions. It is a subject that fascinates our culture perhaps more than is wise, and probably has done with every culture in the past also - some 'deal with it' by not talking about it at all, others 'deal with it' by talking about it to the nth degree and analysing it until there is nothing left private. I always find it refreshing to see how the Bible deals with it though. It is not scared to be somewhat explicit... to describe the enjoyment of sexuality in the bounds of marriage.

Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well. Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets? Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love. Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? 

(Pro 5:15-20)

This  description in chapter 5 is beautiful... the wife seen as a source of pure water, a private cistern, and the husband a spring, both enjoying the fresh water (sexual relations) together... neither should waste them or cheapen their own or their partners sexuality by sharing with strangers or leaving the other vulnerable to sharing their 'water' with others. The picture of 'Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight' and the idea of intoxication with each other is a blessed thing... and note the same word is used in relation to the forbidden women - intoxication can be a good thing if it is within God's design, but the gift He has given us can be abused - the moment may seem as intoxicating, but there are consequences later (Ch 7). 

All these truths are equally true for women... Proverbs may be written to 'my son' and therefore deal with an adulteress, but adulterers are just as common if not more so, and it is interesting to flip the gender in chapter 7 and see how much applies equally - in many ways a classic description of a 'player' so despicably venerated in popular media and society.

The topic brings to mind the recent talk on the news about rape culture and sexuality. As with many others, I have seen the news, and seen screeds of opinion pieces analysing the case and the culture from every angle, but my usual feeling after reading an article on the topic is just how far from Christianity the conversation seems to be. I don't reply to posts like that on the internet unless I know the person and know it won't just turn into a flame/troll war, but I do find it sad. The general conclusion seems to be 'we must insist that men get explicit consent for any sexual contact - not saying no is not enough'. One article did point out that in NZ we don't like asking/stating things explicitly - we often prefer to be guided by non verbal cues, and they also rightly pointed out it can change if we change cultural perceptions because the non-verbal cues can be misinterpreted or ignored, especially if both parties are inebriated.
Now in principle I do agree with the idea of consent before sex - it's the flippant acceptance of the idea that things like one night stands and hook-ups going from no romantic contact to full sexual access, even with some sort of 'yes' in the flurry of passion/inebriation that I object to. According to the Bible, it is the decision to marry that gives consent for sex - anything else, even when one is saying 'yes I want it' (whichever partner) the loving thing to do is to say 'no it's not right'. Let us enjoy and promote sexuality as God's great gift within marriage, and I pray to God for wisdom in expressing this idea to others in humility, but upholding God's standard as a good way of life - not an archaic way of diminishing sexuality as it is often perceived - but praising His wisdom in granting us a structure to enjoy this great gift!

Day 20 "Praise You"

So after reading the Psalms for today, I’m thinking that my last blog post about Justice and Mercy might better fit today, but oh wells. J  It’s the Last blog for Psalms! So I thought I’d let the Psalms speak for itself.

I believe that Wisdom grows with your relationship with God. “The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.” [Psalms 111:10] Reading through the Psalms has been an interesting adventure for me. It is hard to not skim past it and also not over analyse it, and some of the passages were repetitive or hard to read. I still haven’t found the best formula to reading it, but I personally found it quite helpful to listen to it through audio. I would sometimes listen to it while folding away my clothes or while reading it, and I’d gladly try listening to it with a morning jog. Also, I think verbalizing it through reading it out loud; praying with it, or blessing the congregation with reading a psalm before or during worship is also quite nice. It was interesting, too, to find how many famous songs with lyrics straight from the Psalms! I wonder if there is a copyright? J

            Imagine a telescope. When you look through it, you see big galaxies of stars, countless, beautiful, and awesome. And to think the God who created all of that, is my Friend, Father, and Savior?

 “Lord, what are human beings that you care for them,
    mere mortals that you think of them?
⁴ They are like a breath;
    their days are like a fleeting shadow.”

[Psalms 144:3-4]

            Now imagine a microscope. When you look through it, you see the details and complexity of the tiniest things. It is insane. One look at life and it’d take a whole lot of faith to think that there wasn’t a creator. This Psalm is amazing to read, which is why I posted this whole chunk here even though it makes my post seem really long :P

 “You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.
⁵ You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.”

“Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with you.

¹⁹ If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
    Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
²⁰ They speak of you with evil intent;
    your adversaries misuse your name.
²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
    and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
²² I have nothing but hatred for them;
    I count them my enemies.
²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

[Psalms 139]

This Psalm is amazing to read, because it makes me awestruck that God is the only one who knows me for everything I am, my imperfections, ugliness, sin. He sees my innermost being, straight through the masks of conformity society has dressed me with. Why do I bother to hide anything from Him? I can carefully shape my identity, doing good deeds and charitable acts, and yet God knows my heart and mind! This is why He doesn’t care about the things we can do or the skills we have. Our futile strengths are matchless to His. He seeks the hearts of the pure.

“His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
    nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
¹¹ the Lord delights in those who fear him,
    who put their hope in his unfailing love.”

[Psalms 147:10-11]

Through our weakness, His strength is revealed. God always keeps His promises, so read His word and claim His promises! Through the battles and fights, persecution and taunting, our God is always there! He has promised to those who love Him, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”. Even when you don’t see Him, trust in His perfect timing and His faithfulness, and He will honor you.

“The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises
    and faithful in all he does.”

[Psalms 145:13b]

Our God is a great God, worthy of all praise and honor. It is lovely to see that the Psalms end with a song of praise. After all the challenges and difficulties the Psalmists faced, they still sang praises to the Lord. (Personally, I feel as though worship sessions in church should perhaps try that too, start with worship and end with praise!) When we praise God, it is an outward symbol of our inward trust and hope in Him. When we can sing in the midst of pain, to say “Lord you are good, and I trust you in whatever situation”, that is the best praise. This is why the Devil hates Praise songs! Because if we trust in the Lord’s Army, who can be against us?

”Praise the Lord.

Praise God in his sanctuary;
  praise him in his mighty heavens.

Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,

praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.”

[Psalms 150]

Here is a song that I really like the lyrics to, "Praise You In The Storm" by Casting Crowns,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCpP0mFD9F0 

Days 18-20, Psalms 107-150: Delighting in the law and the Lord

As we come to the last book of the Psalms, I've been noticing more and more how the same thoughts seem to come out  - despite picking different themes in the sections we have been reading, the same concepts and words arise again and again. Descriptions of God, God's interaction with us, God's justice and power... our reliance on Him, and our need to trust in Him.

In many of the Psalms, there are prophetic references. I haven't been dwelling on them a lot, though evidently the references to God as Redeemer are fulfilled in Christ, because I have been trying to focus on themes coming from the Psalms themselves and how they can be read and delighted in even without our knowledge of future events. It should be acknowledged that they are more than just praise, however - especially in the section before us, there are a number of prophetic references that underline the Divine Authorship of the Psalms, and we can delight in a God Who knows and plans events before they transpire.

So the theme I have picked/noticed this time is delighting. A lot of the Psalms have this theme, but perhaps I was most influenced by Psalm 119 - I've always had a fondness for this Psalm, partly due to its length, partly due to its academic type references, and partly because it can teach you the Hebrew Alephbet if you pay attention to headings!

"I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word."  (Psa 119:16)
"Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors."  (Psa 119:24)
"Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight."  (Psa 119:35)
"And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved."  (Psa 119:47)
"Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law."  (Psa 119:70)
"Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight."  (Psa 119:77)
"I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight."  (Psa 119:174)

So what does it mean to delight? There are two words translated delight in these sections: one refers to pleasure and enjoyment, the other is to "incline or bend to - to be pleased with - to desire". What got me interested was in the first definition it includes in its meaning "to look upon (with complacency)...please or amuse (self)". At first it surprised me concerning the complacency - but yet in some ways that is a desirable thing. Other verses in the Bible that use this word refer to a child playing with an asp, someone being dandled upon a knee - it seems to speak of a familiar, comfortable enjoyment - not something to always be wowed at. Maybe that's why it only seems to refer to the law of the Lord as a delight - and not the Lord Himself - He is Someone to wonder at, and be amazed, to stand in fear (reverence) and tremble in awe! Whereas the law of the Lord is what He has written down for us, good for our benefit, and understandable. It is something we can find pleasure in, as we seek to live according to His guiding.

Now that is not the only meaning of desire - it is just one of the Hebrew words used in Psalm 119 - our modern definition of delight is "a high degree of pleasure or enjoyment; joy; rapture.extreme pleasure or satisfaction; joy something that gives great pleasure." And this is where many of the rest of the Psalms come in. Though translated by different words, reading through I see an enjoyment, a rapture, extreme pleasure taken in thinking and meditating upon the Lord and all He has done - His glory, and His regard for the lowly:

"All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth. Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD. Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. " (Psa 138:4-6)

The idea of delighting comes out in the descriptive terms used - we can't just 'state the plain facts' or say 'one term is enough'  - there are not enough words to properly express our delight, so we use any and all the most descriptive we can think of! "Stedfast love... abounding in steadfast love... wondrous works... our longing soul... [He] doesn't let them be diminished... exalted... exultation...  continually... rule in the midst of Your enemies... holy garments... etc."
Hmm... doesn't quite express what I was after. Looking at a more narrow example in Psalm 111: we have repeated descriptions of things that continue: "righteousness endures forever" "wondrous works to be remembered" "remembers His covenant forever" "works... are faithful...performed with faithfulness" "praise endures forever". How uninspiring it would be to condense it into: "God's righteousness, works, covenant, and praise will always continue" Still true, still the same thought, but lacking that joyous expression of description that evidences a passion and delight behind the words!

We delight in Him, so we seek His presence... we look to Him in good times and bad... (Psalms 120-124).

We delight in the position He has brought us into, and delight in the unity of mind with fellow believers (reading 1 Peter 3 recently, considering unity of mind there as well as here in Psalm 133).

We delight in proclaiming His love... which is the basis of all He is (Psalm 136)... and delight in thanking Him (Psalm 138)

We even delight in Him knowing us better than we know ourselves, even if this leads to chastening... Psalm 139, 119)

We delight in all of nature praising Him, and every type of instrument praising Him, praising Him in every place, with every type of song. Psalms 145, 147-150.

I didn't know this hymn before today, but found it by a quick search, and thought it very appropriate:

O Thou, in whose presence my soul takes delight,
    On whom in affliction I call,
My comfort by day and my song in the night,
    My hope, my salvation, my all!

Where dost Thou, dear Shepherd, resort with Thy sheep,
    To feed them in pastures of love;
Say, why in the valley of death should I weep,
    Or alone in this wilderness rove?

Oh, why should I wander, an alien from Thee,
    Or cry in the desert for bread?
Thy foes will rejoice when my sorrows they see,
    And smile at the tears I have shed.

Ye daughters of Zion, declare, have you seen
    The Star that on Israel shone?
Say, if in your tents my Beloved has been,
    And where with His flocks He is gone.

Dear Shepherd! I hear, and will follow Thy call;
    I know the sweet sound of Thy voice;
Restore and defend me, for Thou art my all,
    And in Thee I’ll ever rejoice.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/687#ixzz2lGvR5Abo

Slightly different versions of the hymn (middle verses differ):

Meditative singer

Faster version

Delight in the Lord and in His law! Delight in His Son, our Saviour! 

Day #19 "Upside Down"

In the Psalms, we see a lot about protection from enemies, deliverance from suffering and injustice, and cries of help from the persecuted.

I have recently learnt a mind-blowing concept that has radically changed my perspective of wealth, suffering and justice in the world. It was not a nice thing to accept, but get this; the rich are servants of the poor. The torturers will be under the feet of the tortured. The lowly servants and slaves on this earth will be rulers. It’s in reverse. The wealthy, famous, “got it all” people, will one day be groveling under the mercy of the weak. The Bible says so.

"For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest" [Luke 9:48]

 "Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?” [James 2:5-7]

...Why do we trying to hard to please the strong of the world when they are the ones who oppress and betray us?...

It was a paradigm shift for me; I couldn’t believe it! All this time, conformed to the world, I judged or sympathized with the ugly, the dirty, the weak, the poor, the disabled, but in God’s eyes, they are the most honored! “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” [1 Samuel 16:7]

So our God is a fair God! His justice, though not seen right now, will one day come. The Psalmists knew that when they cried out for God’s justice, and waited in hope for His deliverance. Psalm 136 tells of God’s mercy that endures forever. He is a God of both Justice and Mercy. 

“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” [Psalm 136:1]

In another version it uses LOVE instead of mercy, "God saw the trouble we were in. God’s Love never fails." [Psalm 136:23]

Psalm 121 has to be one of my favorite blessing of protection passages.

“I look to the hills!
    Where will I find help?
² It will come from the Lord,
    who created the heavens
    and the earth.

³ The Lord is your protector,
    and he won’t go to sleep
    or let you stumble.
⁴ The protector of Israel
doesn’t doze
    or ever get drowsy.

⁵ The Lord is your protector,
there at your right side
    to shade you from the sun.
⁶ You won’t be harmed
by the sun during the day
    or by the moon^[a] at night.

⁷ The Lord will protect you
    and keep you safe
    from all dangers.
⁸ The Lord will protect you
    now and always
    wherever you go.”