“I lift my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
(Psalm 121:1-2 ESV)
The weary pilgrim, on his way to worship at the temple in Jerusalem, raises his eyes to the hills surrounding the city or to Jerusalem itself and wonders how he will finish the journey.
The reply is not only an answer to this particular situation but is generalized to cover all of the believer’s life.
Yet there is the question, “from where do we draw our strength”? There is much that is counterfeit in the world yet offers all kind of remedies and solutions to life’s problems and struggles, and they seem so much more alluring than turning to the Lord.
When we can lift our eyes from earth to heaven and turn our attention from the worldly to the Lord, and own the answer to our same question, we have a confidence beyond “human understanding”. When we know that “our help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth” we know that no power can hinder the work and word of the Lord.
The pilgrim reassures himself in the following verses – may they be an inspiration and comfort to us all on our journey
“…..3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and for evermore.” (Psalm 121 ESVRV)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
(1 Corinthians 1:3-5 ESVRV)
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
(Romans 8:26 ESVRV)
6 So we can confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”
7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. (Hebrews 1365-8 ESVRV)
