My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2
It was a Monday morning, but my friend Chia-ming wasn’t in the office. He was at home, cleaning the bathroom. A month unemployed, he thought, and no job leads. His firm had shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic and worries about the future filled Chia-ming with fear. I need to support my family, he thought. Where can I go for help?
In Psalm 121:1, the pilgrims to Jerusalem asked a similar question about where to find help. The journey to the Holy City on Mount Zion was long and potentially dangerous, with travelers enduring an arduous climb. The challenges they faced may seem like the difficult journeys we face in life today—trudging the path of illness, relationship problems, bereavement, stress at work or, as in the case of Chia-ming, financial difficulty and unemployment.
But we can take heart in the truth that the Maker of heaven and earth Himself helps us (v. 2). He watches over our lives (vv. 3, 5, 7–8) and He knows what we need. Shamar, the Hebrew word for “watches over,” means “to guard.” The Creator of the universe is our guardian. We’re in His safekeeping. “God took care of me and my family,” Chia-ming shared recently. “And at the right time, He provided a teaching job.”
As we trust and obey God, we can look ahead with hope, knowing we’re within the protective boundaries of His wisdom and love.
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heavenb and earth.c
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watchesd over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches overe you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sunf will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harmg—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.h
INSIGHT
- What kind of help do you need from God today?
- How does knowing He’s the Maker of heaven and earth encourage you?
As one of the Songs of Ascents (see the superscription), Psalm 121 was designated as a song of pilgrimage as the people traveled to Jerusalem for the three high feasts each year. Though there were more feasts, these three had been set aside for annual pilgrimage. Notice Deuteronomy 16:16 in Moses’ final instructions to Israel prior to his death: “Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the Lord empty-handed.” The Feast of Unleavened Bread was also known as Passover (Pesach) while the Festival of Weeks (Shavuot) was also known as Firstfruits or Pentecost. Both of these were spring feasts, while the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) was a fall feast that remembered the people’s time dwelling in tents in the wilderness.
PRAYER
Father, thank You for being my source of help on my life’s journey. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen!!
Read: Psalm 121 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Psalm 119:1-88 ; 1 Corinthians 7:20-40