The Trouble With Troubles

I was reading from the psalms this morning, and I have a question for You Lord.


(NIV)Psalm 121:7
The Lord will keep you from all harm---he will watch over your life;


In this psalm, You clearly say you will keep us from all harm, those that look to You. Yet, in the case of people we know, who have been living a life focused on You, depending on You,  they are afflicted with a terrible cancer which clearly has harmed them. I ask for Your help in understanding this verse in light of our experience.


The NASB translates this verse:


The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.


OK, so after some research, the key word to understanding this verse is the last word of the sentence. The NIV translates this life, so in my thinking this means a person's life, the outward experiences, etc. The Hebrew word 'nephesh', is more correctly translated soul as shown in the NASB. This word means the inner person, see below:




soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion
a. that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man
b. living being
c. living being (with life in the blood)
d. the man himself, self, person or individual
e. seat of the appetites
f. seat of emotions and passions


So another way of reading this verse would be something like this:


The Lord will guard your soul, and keep it safe, as you encounter hardships and trouble.


I can understand this Lord, Thank You for Your instruction. Scripture clearly teaches us that we will encounter hardship and struggles ( Psalm 9:9, John 16:33, Rom 8:35, 1Peter 4:12, etc.), so a verse like this could seem contradictory.


In fact, as I have looked at many of the verses where trouble is mentioned, its often within the context of that situation that God provides shelter, rescue, or miracles. He is a God who saves. He is the Redeemer, one who goes into the enemies camp and frees the captives and sets them free. Its in trouble, that we encounter these characteristics of the Lord. As Jesus says in John 16:33:


(NIV)John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”


So going back to the beginning of Psalm 121, we are encouraged to lift our eyes up to Him. For in Him, our souls are safe and helped.


(NIV)Psalm 121:1-2
I lift up my eyes to the mountains---where does my help come from? [2] My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.