Where Does My Help Come From? (Psalm 121)

There’s a lot going on in the world today. Life can be so busy, at such a frenetic pace. We can

sometimes get ourselves into a mess and wonder how we got there, the struggles, the anxieties, the heartaches and sorrows. Things get so complicated and confusing at times we wonder what to do. How do I deal with this? What am I going to do about that?

Where can I find someone to help me with this?

Where can I find some help? Where does my help come from?

When we don’t know what to do or what to say we can look to the Psalms. We can look to them as prayers. We can pray the Psalms.

They offer us a place to turn when we don’t know where else to turn. They are a great source of calm, solitude and reflection. They can give us a sense of peace when we read of God’s love, God’s mercy, and God’s grace.

The Book of Psalms can offer us insights into the emotional quandaries of life. David spent quite a bit of time pondering the big questions of life and recorded them for us.

Today we’re going to study just one of those Psalms, Psalm 121. It’s just eight verses but offers a message of hope, faith, and trust.

Psalm 121 is one of 15 Psalms known as the “Psalms or Songs of Ascent” (Psalm 120 – Psalm 134). Mr. Smith gave a very good sermon on these entitled, “The Song of Ascents” on Oct 8, 2016. Available on the UCG website.

[Book - A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society by Eugene H. Peterson]

These Psalms were sung as pilgrims ascended the mountain on their way to Jerusalem for the Feast days. Jerusalem’s elevation is 2,474 feet, just shy of half a mile high. Denver is known as “The Mile-High City”. Jerusalem is just half that. As they traveled, at each level they would sing the next Psalm of Ascent.

We can also look at these Psalms as us coming out of the world and journeying towards the Kingdom of God, towards the New Jerusalem.

The Psalms of Ascent begin with Psalm 120, at the beginning of their journey. They find themselves in hostile territory sojourning amongst the barbarous, savage, and uncivilized people that dwelt outside of Palestine. Their journey ends in Psalm 134 where they’ve arrived in the house of the LORD saying,

Behold, bless the LORD, All you servants of the LORD, Who by night stand in the house of the LORD! Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the LORD. The LORD who made heaven and earth Bless you from Zion! (Psa 134:1-3 NKJV)

 Our journey feels like that sometimes, doesn’t it? More and more like that lately. We’re pilgrims, sojourners, in a strange land we hardly recognize anymore, among those who hate peace, always contentious, and quick tempered, looking for someone to blame for their troubles. We seek the Kingdom of God where we’re going, to dwell at last in peace with our LORD.

Psalm 121, the second of those Psalms, is sometimes called, “The Traveler’s Psalm”. They’ve left their homes and have begun travelling through the hot, dry wilderness, over the hills towards Jerusalem.

That’s where our focus will be today. Please turn with me now to Psalm 121.

When we’re in need of help, where do we look? We often look around us, at our surroundings, at the people in our lives, the institutions, the governmental entities, anybody, depending on how desperate we are. We look all around us, anywhere. Where can I find help?

Psa 121:1-8 NKJV

(1)  A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help?

The King James reads this way – “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.”

As the pilgrims get out on their journey away from the safety of their homes, they look around and suddenly everything looks strange. They can no longer see the familiar surroundings where they live. Perhaps they’re uncertain which way to go. Like we are sometimes in life.

It’s as if David is implying that his help comes from the hills, or he’s expecting someone to come over the hills to help. Or perhaps he’s looking to the hills to provide refuge. The mountains can be a great place to hide but the hills are also the lair of bandits and wild animals, a place of uncertainty and danger.

But the New King James corrects the punctuation. “I will lift up my eyes to the hills (full stop). From whence comes my help? It’s a question.

You can picture him gazing out over the horizon, looking upon the hills all around. Out in the open, travelling in those days, you were vulnerable to attack, whether by wild animals, or thieves looking to do you in. If you were to receive any assistance, that too would come in the form of someone riding in over the hills.

Where’s my help? Where’s the cavalry riding in to save the day?

There’s no one coming over the hills to help. Where am I going to find someone to help now?

The hills, in those days, were where the heathens set up their altars to pagan gods, where they set up their shrines and groves to practice their worship of false deities.

Perhaps this is a spiritual question. As he looks out over the hills, would he expect spiritual help to come from these?

Finally, he stops looking all roundabout him and instead looks up. He’s looked all around. He’s looked within, looked at his own inadequate means. What can his feeble band of pilgrims made up of women and children, people of all ages, young and old do? How can they possibly protect themselves against a band or marauders or a pack of wild animals? Spiritually speaking, how could any of them expect help to come from Baal, or Asherah, or some other false god?

“Where’s my help? What am I going to do?” “Which way do I go?”

Then, he remembers, “Oh wait!” My help comes from the LORD! The One Who made heaven and earth, and the hills. The Eternal, the Self-Existent One. He’s suddenly reminded from whence his help has always come and he finds the way. “The way, the truth, and the life.”

Psa 121:2 NKJV  My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

Which LORD?

Psa 146:5-6 KJV  Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:

Why is this significant? This isn’t just anyone he’s talking about. This is THE LORD, the living God! The One Who made heaven and earth, and all that therein is!

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (Joh 1:3 KJV)

This is THE LORD! Not only is God the Maker of heaven and earth but He also sustains it. What does that mean?

Col 1:16-17 KJV(16)  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
(17)  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

…upholding all things by the word of his power. (Heb 1:3)

God not only made everything but He holds it together. Without Him the cosmos would spin out of its orbit and fly off into outer darkness. Who else has that kind of power? Who has the power to set the moon and the stars in their orbit and the power to hold them in their place?

The point that David is making is, God is able. He has the power, the power to help. He’s the One Who made heaven and earth and all that is therein and by Him all things consist upheld by the very word of His power!

It doesn’t matter how big your problem is, God has not only offered His help but He is able to extend it.

The One to Whom we pray, the One whom we ask for help is the Creator God. He is the Sustainer God. He is the One who has the power, the One in Whom we place our confidence. In God We Trust.

(Psa 125:1-2 KJV) They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.

Continuing now in verse 3 of Psalm 121, we listen in as he’s having this inner dialogue with himself. He’s reminding himself who God is and how He can always be counted on.

Psa 121:3 NKJV  He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.

He knows you - the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Matt 10:30; Luke 12:7  

God knows you. He knows what you’re going through. He’s watching over you. God is faithful. He will not allow you to be tested beyond your strength, to be pushed past your limit, but will make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.  (1Cor 10:13)

God is your loving Father. Don’t you think He’s concerned about you and what you’re going through? God has even placed His angels about you.

He will not allow your foot to be moved…

Psa 91:11-12 KJV  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.  (12)  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. (1Sa 2:9 KJV)

They who keep sound wisdom and discretion shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken. (Pro 3:23, 26 KJV)

His saints will be sure-footed, standing on solid ground.

Psa 121:4 NKJV  Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

He who keeps you does not slumber. He’s the same God who keeps Israel, ALL of Israel, He’s the One. He’s the keeper of all Israel and I am a member of Israel. And we are Israel today, aren’t we?

Gal 6:16 KJV  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

He tells us again that our God doesn’t go to sleep on you. Your God, my God, the God of Israel never sleeps. He never even dozes off.

My wife and family laugh at me when I nod off in front of the TV. Some of the noises they say I make, I don’t know.

But God never gets tired. He never gets bored. He never naps, even for a second, unless He’s watching golf.

Even in the loneliest darkest hour of the night, He’s always there because He doesn’t sleep, He doesn’t slumber.

You don’t need to stay up all night worrying. You don’t need to stay up all night walking the floor over your little one, or walking the floor over some sickness you don’t know what to do about, or a bill that needs to be paid or whatever has you worried and anxious.

God knows you’re concerned. If you’re concerned, He’s concerned. Give it to Him. Let Him worry about it. He’s going to be up all night anyway.

The very same God who created the universe, who loves you, who never sleeps nor slumbers will take care of it. Give it to Him. Trust him.

Remember the story of Elijah and his showdown with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel? The story is in 1 Kings chapter 18.

Remember what happened? An altar was built and the contest was that whoever’s god set the altar on fire and burnt up the offering was the true god. The 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah went first. They loaded up the altar and began to appeal to their god. All morning until noon they prayed and leaped on the altar. No response. They continued calling on their god and cut themselves until the blood rushed out. Still no response.

What did Elijah do?

Elijah mocked them and said, "Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened." (1Ki 18:27 NKJV) 

You’ve got to be really confident and certain that God is with you to do this, because he was next.

At the time of the evening sacrifice it was Elijah’s turn. He loaded up the altar and had water poured all over it. Water that was extremely scarce due to the drought.

And he prayed to God, our God, who made heaven and earth, who never sleeps, who never slumbers.

1Ki 18:36-39 NKJV(36)  And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.
(37)  Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again."

Just 63 words.

(38)  Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
(39)  Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!"

This is the God we worship. This is the God we pray to. He never sleeps. He never slumbers. He’s always there. He hears our prayers, whether they be long or just 63 words. He hears our prayers.

Psa 121:5 NKJV  The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand.

The LORD is our keeper. He’s the One. He’s ever present at our right hand.

He’s our Keeper = our Shepherd, He is still our Shepherd, and we shall not want.

The LORD is your shade

Now I’m certain this doesn’t mean the LORD is “throwing shade” as it’s meant today. I had heard this phrase before but I didn’t know what it meant. I had to look it up. So, I turned to the authoritative source of all things cool and relevant, the Urban Dictionary.

Urban Dictionary - "Throwing Shade"

To diss [or disrespect] someone without actually saying their name but making it obvious that that's who you are talking about

Somebody says: “Some people are huge gossips.”

Everyone: ** looks at you **

You: “Are you throwing shade at me?!?”

So, I’m sure that’s not what it means. Sometimes it’s just as good to know what something doesn’t mean.

In this case, it means shade from the scorching heat, the heat of the desert wilderness. These are pilgrims traveling through the open arid land to go up to Jerusalem. It’s hot, the sun can be scorching out in the open like that. Remember the pillar of cloud by day when he led the Israelites out of Egypt? The LORD was their shade, and David’s reminded of that.

It’s also spiritual shade. 

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (Psa 91:1)

Psa 121:6 NKJV  The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night.

The sun shall not strike you by day. Strike you, as in smite you to do you harm, like a sunstroke.

Nor the moon by night. You won’t be struck by the moon either. Have you ever thought of being struck by the moon? Being moonstruck.

At that time, it was believed that changes in the moon caused people to act crazy, like a lunatic.

Mat 17:14-15 KJV(14)  And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
(15)  Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

Lunatic, and lunacy – from the word, “lunar” meaning moon.

The Literal Translation of the Holy Bible, the LITV, phrases it this way, “for he is moonstruck”

Adam Clarke - One who was most affected with this disorder at the change and full of the moon. In this case, the devil intended to hide himself under the appearance of a natural disorder, that no supernatural means might be resorted to for his expulsion.

We still talk about the lunacy around us today, don’t we and how some people act like lunatics. They act like they’re not in their right minds. We see somebody driving like a lunatic and we ask, “is there a full moon tonight?”

The LORD will protect us from true lunacy, that of demonic possession.

Psa 121:7 NKJV  The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.

He shall preserve you from all evil, from all evil.

Here he goes from the specific protections to the general. He doesn’t say we won’t encounter difficulties along the way. He doesn’t say we won’t stub our toe, or experience loss or trials in the physical sense, but that he will protect us from evil, spiritual wickedness in high places. These things will never be able overtake us spiritually and separate us from the love of God.

God never promised us that if we would just follow him and his way of life that our life would be without trials. He never promised that we would never stumble. He never promised we would never experience illness, or an accident, or sorrow over the death of a loved one. He never promised that if we would just follow him life would be a bowl of cherries.

Our walk with Him is not a life of quiet solitude like Henry David Thoreau's Walden Pond or a stroll through the Garden of Eden but rather time and chance happen to us all. (Ecc 9:11) It rains on the just and the unjust. (Mat 5:45)

There was a song written by Joe South around 1967 or so and though Joe South, Billy Joe Royal, and others had recorded it first, it never really took off until a little 23-year-old girl born in Grand Forks, North Dakota named Lynn Anderson released it in October of 1970.

The song was called “Rose Garden” and it hit number one on the U.S. Billboard country chart for five weeks, reached No. 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop chart as well. It became a hit around the world. The opening lyrics went like this –

I beg your pardon,

I never promised you a rose garden

Along with the sunshine,

there's gotta be a little rain sometime

Many others have recorded the song since then but none reached the success of Lynn Anderson’s version. Her version of "Rose Garden" remains among the most successful crossover recordings of all-time.

God never promised us a rose garden either. We’re subject to the same struggles in life, the same pressures, the same heartaches as everyone else. But the difference is the LORD is with us. God is with us. There’s a greater purpose being worked out as we go through our trials and heartaches of this life.

We know that each step we take, each breath we breathe, we are preserved by God. We know we are accompanied by God. We know we are ruled by God.

Imagine for a moment what it must be like for those who are not. How do they cope? How do they make sense of it all without the truth that we have tucked away inside of us that preserves our souls?

We know that no matter what, God is with us, that God is watching out for us. No matter what happens in this physical life, God will preserve us and keep us from evil.

The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what man can do unto me. (Psa 118:6)

God promises us that if we are one of His, and stay close to Him that he will keep us from evil. He will put a hedge about us. He will hide us under his wing from the Evil One.

He will preserve our souls, the “nephesh,” the inner man. 

The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living [nephesh] soul. (Gen 2:7)

Regardless of what happens to us, God will preserve our soul.

Psa 97:10 KJV  Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

Regardless of the situation, we can rest in our inner man, calmed and strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man as Paul says in Ephesians 3:16, because we know that God, who knows us and loves us has a purpose and place for us and places a hedge about us.

Ships don’t sink from the water all around but by the water that gets inside. Similarly, we don’t sink from the evil and corruption all around unless it gets inside.

Nothing can happen to us without God’s express permission. Remember Job. Satan had to get God’s permission before he could afflict Job.

No matter what happens we know it is God’s will, that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose. (Rom 8:28)

He has the power to preserve, to put a hedge about, to guard, protect

Psa 121:8 NKJV  The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Anybody feel like that’s all you ever do? Our house, it seems, is just a place where we come in to prepare to go out again.

Going out and coming in. We have a little Cairn Terrier, a little dog at home, named Abby. If you’re home during the day, it seems that’s all she does. You get up and let her out. Get up and let her back in. “Let me out so I can come back in.” All day long. I feel like a doorman. That’s my job.

Remember when Solomon was about to become King and God came to him and said, “Ask what I shall give thee.”?  Solomon said, “I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in” so therefore give him an understanding heart to judge the people rightly. (1Ki 3:7)

And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing and He gave him the wisdom he needed to go out and to come in, judging rightly.

The Psalm tells us God will preserve us even in the mundane, routines of our everyday lives, in our going out and in our coming in.

God cares about everything in your life.

O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. (Jer 10:23)

Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not. (Psa 17:5)

A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. (Pro 16:9)

Sometimes it seems that life has become so routine that we do the same things every day just so we can get up and do it again the next day like the dog going in and out.

We get up in the morning, go to work, work all day, come home, eat dinner, go to bed, just so we can get up in the morning, go to work, come home, eat dinner, and go to bed again. Not knowing if we’re making any progress or not. It seems like we’re not going anywhere. It’s the same old, same old.

In the meantime, somehow our kids grow up, and we get older, and seemingly have little to show for it.

Hopefully, along the way we’ve imparted God’s truths to our children in our going out and in our coming in.

And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (Deu 6:7; 11:19)

When you go out and when you come in, though you be weary, and dog tired, the truths of God are imparted to your children along the way by the example you set.

God tells us to weary not in well doing for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (Gal 6:9)

When we come into the Truth, we give our lives over to God and Christ saying, “I can’t do this anymore. I’ve tried it my way and my way doesn’t work.” We repent, we’re baptized, we receive God’s Holy Spirit, and in humble submission, we turn control of our lives over to God to walk in newness of life.

Do you ever self-sabotage just for the sake of something different? Do you ever intentionally go off the rails just for the sake of variety? The day to day becomes so boring and mundane, that you have to do something to shake things up a bit even though we know better.

Sometimes we take the reins of our life back, in our own stubbornness and our own self-will, and we go our own way. I don’t know why I’d ever want to do that again but I do. I do things I know I shouldn’t and don’t do the things I know I should.

Just like Paul. Even Paul had the same issue. I imagine we all do.

But God preserves us even when we are not aware of it. As I look back on my life and all the stupid things I’ve done, sometimes I wonder how I managed to live this long. Truth is, I didn’t manage it. It’s obvious when I look back over my life, that there were times, for whatever reason God, or one of His holy ones, managed it for me.

God’s grace and a praying mother is all I can figure.

And like a loving father, our heavenly Father allows us to go our own way, make our own choices no matter how painful it must be to watch.  But watch, He does, even watching over us at times, protecting us from our own folly, preserving us for His own purpose.

How frustrating it must be for God to watch us veer off the path he’s set for us. We ask Him to direct our steps, direct our going out and our coming in in His paths yet we veer off course, sometimes leap off course, without rhyme or reason.

But know this, the LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.

God cares. He’s watching over you the whole time. He’s molding you. He’s shaping you. He’s engraving you with His own image. God will not let go of you until he sees his work through to the end.

Php 1:6 KJV  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

God will never give up on us if we don’t give up on God. He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Heb 13:5) Even in the middle of all our folly. Even in the middle of our worst trial. Nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Rom 8:38-39 KJV(38)  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
(39)  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When we’re going through a trial and wonder, “What am I going to do?”. “Where can I find help to deal with this?”

Remember the inner dialogue of Psalm 121. Remember all the things the LORD has done and say,

“My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

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