Psalms 121-123

Today, let’s look at Psalm 121

Do you ever feel like life is an uphill battle? I know we may not always feel like that, but there may be times where you feel like the problems you are experiencing are an uphill battle. Maybe you are in a season of trouble with finances and every day seems like you are trying to climb out of a hole that you are sinking in. Maybe it is a relationship issue with a wife or a spouse, and you are just exhausted with what you are going through. Maybe it’s your health? I don’t know what it is but I know that each of us have felt exhausted with life and we have all felt that we fighting an uphill battle. 

This psalm today is what is known as a Psalm of Ascent. You can see it in the heading just underneath the title of the psalm. Psalms of Ascent were psalms that the Israelites would sing, or quote as they journeyed somewhere, most specifically as they journeyed to the Temple to worship. The Temple was built on the top of a mountain or hill in Jerusalem and sometimes people would have to travel for days or weeks to worship! (Thank God for online worship huh?) 

The psalmist here starts off in verse 1, “I lift my eyes to hills. From where does my help come from?” You can see that there is an inner dialogue going on and the psalmist is asking himself this question in which he answers to himself…”My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and hell.” 

You know that it is a good practice to speak the truth of scripture over yourself. We live in a culture of lies where we are bombarded with lies about anything and everything. We need to actively speak truth to ourselves and the truth here is that, “your help comes from the Lord! Who created the heavens and the earth.” 

The psalmist is looking up this mountain that he is ascending and wondering how he is going to make it. Instead of believing the lies in his head, he speaks truth! “Fear argues that the mountains are too big, but faith asserts that the Lord is bigger than the mountains.”

We see, starting in verse 3, kind of a shift in who is speaking. In verses 1-2 it is first person and in verses 3-8 it is second person. It is as if someone steps in to speak truth to the one who is making the ascent. Some scholars believe maybe it is an elder speaking to a younger person who is facing hardships. Or maybe it was a priest who was encouraging someone with the promises of God. 

I want to encourage you today with these promises from this psalm today! I don’t know what problem you are facing but I want you to know that God does not sleep! (verses 3-4) Our god does not rest! His eyes are always open and on His children! He will keep you! (verses 5-8) He will keep you from evil! He will keep your life! He will protect you as you come and as you go! God is with you and God will keep your life! 

The fact that God is with us, is watching us, and is keeping us does not mean we are invincible! It does not mean that we will not experience emotional, physical, or relational hardships; what it does mean is that in the end we will see His plan and realize how He was with us and walked with us every step of the way up the mountains of emotional, physical, or relational hardships! 

I love the idea that the psalm switched to an elder speaker to a younger person because sometimes it takes perspective of looking back on life to see the truth that is being spoken here. I believe that even Job in scripture would say these same exact things even knowing that he lost everything at the permission of the Lord! I believe he would look back on his life and tell you and me, God is your help, your keeper, and your protector!

May we be a church that is confident to speak these truths even in the midst of climbing our mountains! May our confidence in the Lord be a testimony to the rest of the world that our “help comes from the Lord!” and nowhere else!