1I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? 2My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
What a beautiful song of trust! This psalm offers words of faith in the Lord rather than complaints over life’s troubles. But trust does not grow in a vacuum; we look to the Lord because we have needs that are greater than we can handle. This second in a series of fifteen Psalms of Ascent was probably used in both group and individual worship to bring the believers’ minds in line with the truth of God. He is greater than any problem we face. This served as a reminder to the faithful as they ascended to Jerusalem and the temple mount for worship, and it should also remind us today as we approach God in worship and praise.
The first two verses express the first-person perspective of an individual looking to the Lord for help, and ask, “Where is help found?” In the NT, Jesus taught us to begin prayer with, “Our Father, who is in heaven ….” We are to look to where God is, high above all earthly things, where He can see all that is happening and is unlimited in the help He provides. In the ancient world, God was pictured as being physically high—and what is higher in the human experience than the mountains? Of course, the psalmist knows God is not confined to a single geographical location, for He is the creator of “heaven and earth” (vs. 2). When we face trouble, we must recognize and trust in the one true God who is completely sovereign and all-powerful. As the Lord said through Jeremiah the prophet, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” (Jer. 32:27). That is the starting point of our faith. We cannot rely on the congregation’s faith; it must begin with each of us individually.
The psalm then turns from the first-person perspective to addressing the reader. Thus, it takes the form of a wisdom psalm, teaching us about the trustworthiness of the Lord and His benefits to us. We may struggle with difficulties in life, but God promises, “He will not allow your foot to slip.” Why? Because He is watching over us 24-7: “He … will neither slumber nor sleep, the Lord is your keeper” (vss. 3-5a). To the ancient people, the imagery of the Lord shading them from the sun’s unbearable heat illustrates well that “the Lord will protect you from all evil; and He will keep your soul” (vss. 5b-7). What great benefits result when we trust the Lord!
The final wisdom for those who desire to look to the Lord is that His help will be continuous throughout the daily experiences of life: “The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in” (vs. 8a). This is not a time-limited promise; it will be “from this time forth and forever.” Trusting the Lord for help is not reserved for the isolated, compartmented experiences of life, but it is a way of life. And the Lord’s help doesn’t just ramp up in our times of catastrophic or life-threatening need, but it is His continual provision for us. He is always ready, helping us, day in and day out, even when we are unaware of it.
Lord, I trust You for all my needs, both my “daily bread” and when I am confronted with extreme difficulties, for You are my keeper and my shade!
0 Comments