Psalm 121:1-2 “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”
I think of President Reagan when I read these verses, because these were some of his favorite verses. He loved to go up into the mountains and escape for a little while from the problems of life. I know you can relate to me when I say that there are times when I just want to get away from all of the pressures and go to a quiet place. Here at the Ranch, I love to hike up Scales Mountain; I’ve found refreshment there many times. But here in this passage, the most wonderful thing is not the mountains themselves but the Maker of those mountains. He is the source of our help (verse 2). And what capable help our Lord is, for He “made heaven and earth”!
In what way is He our help? We’ll look at the next few verses: verse 3 says, “He will not suffer thy foot to be moved. . . .” The Lord gives us the strength and stability that we need to be used of Him. The verse continues, “He that keepeth thee will not slumber.” We have other earthly friends that help us in time of need, but even the most faithful friend will not always be there (he or she still has to sleep, go to work, etc.). Our Lord will never be “off duty”; He will always be there for us to help in our time of need.
Verse 5 calls the Lord our “keeper”-He cares for us and meets our every need. He is also called our “shade.” I love that analogy! Have you ever felt that the sun was bearing down on you and burning a hole in the top of your head? Have you ever, figuratively or literally, been in a place where there was no relief from the heat of the sun? Maybe the demands of those around you and the problems that arise each day seem unrelenting and overwhelming. Lift up your eyes to your Help, to your LORD-He is your “shade” from the heat of the day. A quiet place with Him brings refreshment and needed relief.
Now let’s look to verse 6, “The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.” Not only is He the provision that we need, but also He is there to help every day. He is our Help on days that seem easy, and He is our Help through days that bring hard trials. Then verse 7 tells us that our Lord will always be our help and provision: “The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” We will never be left alone to struggle through life without His help. He will be there every step of the way!
Yes, the mountains are beautiful and remind us of God’s power, but you may not be able to climb a literal mountain today to find your help. We, as Christians, have something even better-we have the Maker of those mountains. Just lift up your eyes!
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”
Prayer Requests:
1. Revival services tonight in Harned, KY, Hustontown, PA, and Florissant,MO
2. BRR Ladies’ Retreat this week (10/15-17)
3. Revival meetings at First Baptist Church of Santa Maria, CA this month
(*Special day of prayer set for tomorrow, 10/15)