Where Does Your Help Come From?
Lift up your eyes
Our pastor used this Psalm yesterday in his message entitled, Look Up. I have read and studied this psalm before, so I came home to re-read and go over my notes that I had written a few years back. Holy Spirit is always faithful to bring a fresh revelation no matter how long ago something was written. There will always be new nuggets to be mined.
What does it really mean to lift up our eyes to the hills? It is interesting that there is a reference to Jeremiah 3:23. “Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains; Truly, in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.” There are numerous references in scripture about the mountains being a place of refuge and protection. David spent a lot of time in the mountains hiding from Saul who sought to take his life. Psalm 127:2 tells us that just as the mountains surround Jerusalem for protection, so the LORD surrounds His people forever.
So who or what is the protection? Is it the mountains or is it the LORD? I believe it is both. He created the mountains for many purposes; and one of them is that they provide a place of refuge; and in that place of refuge, He is our ultimate protector and help.
Its interesting to know that the word “lift” means to forgive, to be forgiven, as in the removal of guilt. When we look up to the LORD and acknowledge our weaknesses and our disconnect from Him, He reveals Himself as our helper, our sustainer. The word helper has a definition of succor in its meaning. We do not use this word much anymore; but its meaning reveals what true help is….help rendered in danger, difficulty or distress, to come to the aid of. Who among us is not in need of aid?
Climbing through mountains can be dangerous. David tells us that He will “not allow our foot to be moved” meaning to slip or be carried away. Why? Because the One who keeps us, shall neither slumber or sleep. He is the Keeper; and what a keeper does is to keep watch like a watchman, to observe, guard, secure, to perceive, to diligently keep by being circumspect. This is the kind of watchman that I want in my life…always guarding me circumspectly.
A real watchman never slumbers or sleeps. If a soldier was assigned to be a watchman on the wall and was found slumbering, that would be cause for death. The word slumber implies a detachment from others. When are we most vulnerable and unfruitful? When we are not abiding in The Vine. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine…” John 15:4
Our Keeper also provides shade. The shade is His shadow of protection from destruction; and He preserves us from all evil. His definition of evil is wickedness in ethical quality, inferior, what is disagreeable to God, mischief, trouble and distress.
There appears to be no lack of wickedness, mischief, and distress! Everywhere we look there is some sort of deceit and corruption. If we were to allow ourselves to be filled with the worlds news on a daily basis, we would be like those who have no hope! 1 Thessalonians 4:13 “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep (passed away) lest you should sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.”
No matter the troubling situation we may find ourselves surrounded with, we need to lift up our eyes to One who created the hills…this is where our help comes from!