From Where Will My Help Come?

From Where Will My Help Come?

I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will 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. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade at 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 on and forevermore. – Psalm 121

Friends,

I hope this note finds you well.

In the middle of the Bible there sits the book of Psalms. There are 150 Psalms. Some are Psalms of praise. Some are Psalms of lament.

Hidden in the last third of the Psalms are 15 Psalms called the Psalms of Ascents or the Pilgrim Psalms. These are Psalms 120 through 134. It is believed these Psalms were spoken or sung as the people made pilgrimages up to Jerusalem for some of the religious festivals.

This Sunday, the assigned Psalm is one of theses Psalms, Psalm 121. It is by far my favorite of all 150 Psalms.

It is a Psalm of a pilgrim making the trip to Jerusalem. As the pilgrim looks to the hills, the pilgrim sees, with anxiety, the troubles and dangers that can come upon pilgrims on their journeys.

The pilgrim also sees the camps of idol worshippers offering sacrifices to other gods in hopes of alleviating these troubles and dangers.

In the face of troubles and dangers and false solutions, the pilgrim proclaims faith in the true God to give protection in the face of the troubles and dangers.

In today’s world, we are also on a pilgrimage. How often we are tempted to look to the marketplace to find help amid our troubles and dangers.

However, this Psalm reminds that our help comes from God through Jesus Christ who is with each one of us on our pilgrimage.

Peace

Ricky Adams
Pastor
Peace Lutheran Church
Mill Valley, California