When Your Nervous System Is Scanning for Safety

The Best of You

Dr. Alison Cook

Health & Fitness, Mental Health

4.9 • 956 Ratings

🗓️ 18 May 2026

⏱️ 12 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today's Scripture: Psalm 121:1–8 When life feels uncertain, your nervous system may start scanning for safety—looking for reassurance, protection, or some solid place to land. In today’s reflection on Psalm 121, Dr. Alison Cook explores how God meets us in that vulnerable place as the One who watches over our coming and going. We explore: *Why your nervous system scans for safety *How hypervigilance develops *Why “God watches over you” may take time to feel true in your body *How dwelling on scripture can slowly retrain your soul toward safety Go Deeper: Get my Masterclass "Healing the Wounds that Shape Us" when you preorder The Secure Soul Connect with Dr. Alison on Instagram: @dralisoncook Join 80,000+ Soul Menders in Dr. Alison’s free email community for ongoing reflection and support. While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey everyone, I'm Dr. Allison.
0:03.0	Today's scripture offers us a wiser way of being human as we step into the day.
0:12.0	There's a feeling most of us know, that moment when you're standing in the middle of something hard
0:17.0	and you realize something inside of you is scanning. You're looking around, searching for
0:24.0	something, not quite sure what for, and not quite sure where to land. Maybe it's a relationship
0:31.4	that's unraveling. Maybe it's a health scare, a financial cliff, a decision you don't know how to make, or just the
0:39.1	unsettled feeling of being the one who has to hold everything together.
0:44.7	And in that moment, something inside of you goes up and out, almost instinctively looking for
0:50.9	something, someone, somewhere to land.
0:55.6	Today's scripture is Psalm 121, 1 through 8.
1:00.5	I lift up my eyes to the mountains.
1:03.5	Where does my help come from?
1:05.6	My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
1:09.8	He will not let your foot slip. He who watches over
1:13.7	you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
1:21.0	The Lord watches over you. The Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon, by night.
1:30.4	The Lord will keep you from all harm.
1:33.6	He will watch over your life.
1:35.8	The Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.
1:43.3	Psalm 121 is one of the Songs of ascent. It's a collection of psalms that
1:48.7	Jewish pilgrims would have sung as they walked the road up to Jerusalem for the great festivals.
1:54.4	Imagine a long road winding through the hills. The sun is hot. the path is exposed. There are places where danger could
	...

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