I Shall Lift Up My Eyes

     Life is filled with good times and times of trouble.  Quite often, when something was getting me down, my mother took time to talk with me while she was cooking, and she patiently listened as I bemoaned some problem during my high school years.  One of her remedies for difficulties in life was the Psalms.  She encouraged me through the years to read the Psalms to find comfort and assurance there.  As a result, I often went into my room to read and pray the Psalms.  This never failed to bring me peace of mind.
     One of my favorite Psalms is 121.  It is short but a very powerful assurance of God's abiding love and presence:  "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.  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.  The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore."
     The Psalm is comprised of eight short verses of powerful truth about our God.  Looking at verse 1, it becomes clear to us that God is our help.  After all, He is the Creator of heaven and earth.  Can anything be too difficult for Him?  Why is it that we try everything else under the sun before we turn to God in prayer?  I think it goes back to our old flesh that tells us we have to be in control.  However, God should always be the first One we run to when our lives are in turmoil or even at times of great joy!
     God will also not allow our foot to be moved.  In other words, He gives us the ability to stand in the face of trials.  We don't have to worry about a slippery relationship with God.  He is our Rock and a mighty fortress for us. In fact, God never slumbers.  Unlike real life body guards who can fall asleep on the job, God is watching over us 24/7.  This should give our hearts security.  Knowing He is awake, allows us to sleep well at night and to know that He is with us always guarding His own.
     Another comfort comes in verse 5 where it is stated that God is our keeper.  Just as our shadow is always with us everywhere we go, so our Lord is always with us.  This is verified by the writer of Deuteronomy 6  who tells us that God will never leave us nor forsake us.  This allows us to be strong and bold in Christ on a day to day basis.  Why should I fear when I know that nothing will happen to me today that has not already passed through the hands of my heavenly Father who loves me?
     Verses 7 and 8 conclude this Psalm with a promise of deliverance from evil.  Our lives are held in God's Hands.  He knows our beginning and end for all our days are appointed by Him (Psalm 139:16).  He keeps us in all our goings and comings.  Do we not find comfort in knowing that?
     Now, someone could read this Psalm and say that this appears to promise complete protection from all the bad things that can cross our paths in life.  However, this Psalm does not exempt us from death, sickness, tribulation any more than it keeps us from joy, blessings and peace.  This Psalm, instead, expresses the confidence we have in knowing that God is there walking with us every step
through both the happy moments as well as the sad ones.  He has created us for His glory and desires for us to enjoy Him forever.  Therefore, we can face anything as we walk through this world knowing He is sovereign over all things.  We do not need to worry, fear or tremble for we serve a risen Savior who will come again to rule and reign.  As His children, let us lift up our eyes today for our God can be trusted to do all He says He will do.  Selah!


Photograph courtesy of Aaron Thayer taken at the Naples, FL Botanical Gardens

The Psalm That Will Not Let Me Go

       In church this past Sunday, we read Psalm 121, and my heart was captured by these words of comfort.  It is a Psalm that will not let me go.  I find myself meditating on it and reading it over and over.  There is so much assurance in the words, and in our fast paced world, we get little encouragement.  Instead, we are often bombarded by tragedies brought to our homes in living color via T.V. or internet.  Then there are unkind words, rude individuals, and daily temptations so that by the end of the week, we feel worn out and stressed.  This is where God's Word comes in.  It is our foundation and the voice of truth in a world of lies.
     As we look at this Psalm, we need to understand that it is called a Psalm of Ascent.  It was sung by pilgrims on their way to Mount Zion in Jerusalem to worship the One true God.  In the same way, we are modern day pilgrims on our journey through this life as we seek to reach our heavenly home.  Read this Psalm:
    " 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.
     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.
      The Lord will keep
         your going out and your coming in
         from this time forth and forevermore."
     In this short Psalm, there are three great truths we can learn.  First, when we are walking along life's path day to day, we can rest assured that God is our help.  He tells us so in verse 1-2.  The very Creator of the Universe has made known to us that He will provide what we need along the road.  Secondly, God is a provider of safety and rest.  Life has slippery slopes and we cannot always keep our footing, but God can.  He also does not sleep or slumber so that we can rest in peace at night.  We have no need to worry, fret or be afraid at night because God is our protection.  Finally, God lets us know that He is our keeper who will deliver us from evil and protect our lives.  It is a promise that goes on forevermore.  This whole Psalm is like a love letter from the Lord and a comfort to anxious souls.
     When I was a little girl, I was certain there were monsters under my bed or in my closet that would come out at night and steal me away.  My older sister used to play into my fears and assure me that this would happen.  However, our wise and faithful mother would come into my room, gently stroke my face, and remind me that God would stand guard all night because He never sleeps.  I could not understand why God did not need to sleep but I trusted the words of my mother that He would watch over me and He has.  He will do the same for all who call upon His name through the blood of Jesus Christ.
     Maybe you need a little roadside rest stop along your journey today.  If so, meditate on this Psalm and it will bring you encouragement, peace and rest.  Remember God keeps His promises; therefore, we can lean on Him when the way seems hard.  Selah!