D.L.

Where does my help come from?

Where do I start?

I know you have asked that question many times, and you are not the only one who has asked! You are not the first and not the last one, and there will be more people like you and me who will question it.

This question is a very old one. We find it in the very first line of Psalm 121. It is ancient.

What is it with this question that it is so universal? Is it that it speaks to the fallenness of our humanity? I think it does, and it reveals that we are not the masters of our own making, that other forces may come into play when we mess up, and yes, we are the masters of our making.

It is also a cry for help and hope. Today, I met two people that I respect and value. One was to listen to the voice of wisdom, and the other was to encourage that I have received when I have experienced suffering and discouragement. Meeting these two made me realise that I was not alone and was placed in a community.

I am so thankful that the answer to this question in Psalm 121 also has a solution: “My help comes to the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth”.

Jonathan Aiken, the journalist, broadcaster and former politician who went to prison for perjury, wrote a book titled Psalms for “People Under Pressure.” He prayed and thanked the Lord after meditating on this Psalm. “Heavenly Father, when I look at all the perils and dangers that surround me, help me to know that it is only you, my Lord and creator, who will watch over me and keep me from slipping into harm’s way, now and forevermore. Amen.” As this prayer says, it is a Psalm for people under pressure and those protected from falling away.

Looking up

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1–2 ESV)

There are two, I believe, possible explanations regarding “lifting my eyes to the hills”. One is that it is a place where the enemy has the advantage. It is the higher ground. It is very strategic, and where the enemy has the advantage of an open view. Therefore, those on level ground feel very vulnerable; with a restricted view, they can only see the top of the mountain. It is a place where it is natural to ask for help for Divine intervention. The second interpretation concerns places of pagan worship familiar to the nations surrounding Israel. So, the Psalmist cries out to the Lord for help as he looks up to the Hills.

The answer given is one of reassurance. We all face many problems, discouragements, disappointments, sickness, stress, anxiety, and confusion. We all, in one way or another, cry out for help. What is evident in this verse is that we are so dependent upon the mercy of God and the charity of others, and trying to conquer the mountain is a more significant task that sometimes can overwhelm us. What mountain are you trying to conquer, or do you have a mountain of problems that you finally conceded and ask the Lord the same question this Psalm asks?

What is clear is that we need HELP.

The answer is given in verse two, and what an answer it is! My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” He says my help comes from the Lord, Yahweh. This name is the proper name of the God of Israel. There is no one like him. He is the creator of heaven and earth! In other words, he owns the heavens and is certainly higher than any mountain. He is the creator of land and has possession of every mountain ever created.

It is like saying to the enemies, “You can have the higher ground. My help comes from the creator of the higher ground, and he is above! That is where my help comes from? It is all about perspectives!

What God does.

“He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.”  (Psalm 121:3–7 ESV) There is a word repeated six times in verses three to eight: Shamar. It can be translated as Watch over, Guard or Keep. I prefer the rending of the ESV, which is Keeper; why? Because what we have here is a description of God and what He does. In verse five, we read that “The Lord is your Keeper”. The Lord actively protects and keeps his people close, watching over them. He is the Guardian.

There are three real threats:

The possibility of falling off the way. He will not let your step or your foot be moved. This has to do with our natural ability and tendency that we all have to fall away from the way, from the right path, when we are tempted and give up and when we sin. Sin can harm us more than a ton of suffering – Tim Keller. This language is very similar to Ps. 72:2: “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold”.

Remember, we are pilgrims and need to walk towards the temple, to Jerusalem. We will face temptations, tribulations, attacks and difficulties, yet we have a God that will keep us on the right track. It is so easy to leave the way!

The threat of being stricken. God protects us from the danger of being hit. He is our Shade! This is a loving picture of being covered, hidden in the presence of God. Tim Keller says that this is Spiritual refreshment through his presence. Shades provide relief from the blazing sun, and the danger of sunstroke is indeed genuine. The sun can drain your energy; therefore, the Shade provides comfort during oppressive circumstances, a respite amid fiery times, like an oasis. God provides comfort and relief. The Sun and the moon will not harm his people. The moon could be interpreted as the night’s terror, the danger at night. (1)

Confident steps

“The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:8 ESV) David Livingstone(19 March 1813 – 1 May 1873), the famous missionary and explorer of the continent of Africa, read Psalm 121, which praises God for his protection as we journey doing his will. Livingston read Psalm 121 to his father and sister before setting out for Africa in 1840. His mother-in-law, Mrs Moffat, wrote to him that Psalm 121 was always in her mind as she thought about and prayed for him.” (James Montgomery Boice).

My father also read this verse when I left to join Logos 2 in August 1991.

God guards our spiritual well-being from receiving Christ’s forgiveness and entrusting our lives to him until we leave this life to be with God forever.He also guides and protects our physical lives as we go out in the morning to school, work or wherever we must go until we return home to rest. He is our constant protector.(2)

Every Step you take. God has it covered. The Lord watches our comings and goings. This is something we need to be careful about. He is even there when we sin. As Psalm 139 reminds us, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there, your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” (Psalm 139:7–10 ESV)

Let me finish the words of Paul:

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(Romans 8:38–39 NLT-SE)

—————————–

1. Steven J. Lawson, Psalms 76–150, eds. Max Anders, vol. 12 of Holman Old Testament Commentary. Accordance electronic ed. (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2006), 266.
2. Donald Stamps and J. Wesley Adams, eds. Fire Bible Notes. Accordance electronic ed. (Springfield: Life Publishers International, 2009), paragraph 4368.
3. Tim Keller. My Rock My Refuge.