Good Morning,
One of earliest memories I have of reading Psalm 121 was when I was in the seventh grade. I was preparing for finals, and one of teachers's who has now gone to be with the Lord read this Psalm and prayed for me. As I went away from my home at an early age to go to school, later traveled to far away places and finally to a far away country called the USA, my family members read this psalm before praying for me. At times we read this Psalm when our daughters travel to far away places. Today many people continue to recite Psalm 121 at the beginning of a journey. Its’ been called the “Traveler’s Psalm” and is an affirmation of God’s powerful and providential protection.
Isaac Bashevis Singer once confessed, “I only pray when I’m in trouble…but I’m in trouble all the time, and so I pray all the time.” Where do we turn when we are in trouble, when life hits us hard? Where does our help come from? There have been times in our lives when we can look back at an instance and say, “If it were not for God’s protection, I would have been killed.” What sustains us in our darkest hours? The reassurance of Psalm 121 brings us from fear to faith.
Many people have been blindsided by the beauty of the opening statement, and have misunderstood the author’s intent. We picture someone being inspired by a mountain range, finding strength in the rugged, hilly landscape. Part of the problem is the King James rendering: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” Yet the hills are exactly where the psalmist does NOT find strength. He looks higher than the hills. The NIV correctly puts it in the form of a question, “I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from?” Then he gives the answer: “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” One name for God is El-Shaddai, “the most high God”. He is above all others; He is our “higher power”.
The Jewish composer of this Psalm considered his options. Back in Bible times, pagan shrines were built on hilltops, as they still do in India today, calling them “high places”. Groves of trees were planted and people were lured to these places by the false promise of spells, magic, and the immoral practices of cultic prostitution. There is no help or protection from Baal or Asherah, or any of the false gods. Don’t look to the hills—accept no substitutes.
Heathen/Gentile nations, like Hindu India today, worshipped and feared the sun and the moon, and people today continue to trust in the stars (as in astrology/horoscopes). The psalmist looks beyond the hills, beyond the sun, moon, and stars to the One who stood on the edge of nothing and spoke the universe into existence. We are assured, “the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night” (vs 4). Wiccan, Native American, and New Age religions, including some of the modern tree huggers, confused ecologists, continue to worship nature (the Created) instead of its Creator (pantheism). The prophet Jeremiah declares, “Truly the hills are a delusion—the idolatrous commotion on the mountains” (3:23). Jesus assures us, “I am with you always.” We don’t need any “supplemental help” from the sun or the moon.
We may not be worshipping nature or bowing down to idols, yet we are still susceptible to idolatry, which is trusting in anything other than God. An idol is anything we love, rely on, and obey more than God.
Our help is heavenward, not earthbound. We cry out for help, and our help comes “from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (vs 2). To look anywhere else ends in futility and disappointment. Vs. 3 declares that God “will not let your foot slip.” In God we find our security. Roads in ancient Israel were strewn with dangerous rocks and stones, and robbers were a constant threat. This was before the New Testament time of protected Roman roads which made travel much safer than previously. The brief book of Jude says that God is “able to keep us from stumbling” (vs 24). Peter assures us that we are “kept by the power of God” (I Pet 1:5). Though the paths of life are often difficult and perilous, God will not allow our feet to slip.
Psalm 121 helps us meet straight-on the issue of how to deal with fears and insecurities in a dangerous world. When the Israelites made their pilgrimage to Jerusalem their homes were unprotected. But we are assured in vs. 3 that God “will not slumber nor sleep”. He watches over us every step of the way. He is with us. Soldiers can rest from battle because guards are placed along the perimeter. In the same way, we are garrisoned by the eyes of God’s Providence night and day.
Verse 5 says that God is our “shade”on our right hand. The desert is an unforgiving place. I got some pictures the other day from Iraq, of soldiers fighting in a desert storm, where the sun burns and the unrelenting heat can sap our strength. In the Middle East it can get up to 120 degrees in the Summer months. Soldiers assigned there complain of boots and tires melting and the tarmac turning to mush. Heat injuries are a common threat. Yet God shades us, the shadow of His protection covers us.
Next, the moon will not harm us by night. People have long feared the power of the moon to affect their minds. People still say all sorts of craziness happens during a full moon. Being “moonstruck” is to become unstable, to lose one’s reason. The word “lunacy” comes from the word Luna, another name for the moon. They become lunatics. If we walk with God, He will guard and renew our minds (Rom 12:1-2). He changes us from the inside-out.
An executive was getting ready for a month-long business trip. He prayed with his wife before departing: “Lord, please protect Sharon and the children while I’m gone.” His wife looked up at him when he finished and said, “Who do you think protects us while you’re here?” I’ve been away from my family as well. God can help our family more in our absence than we can in our presence.” When we rely on any help other than God, we’re not getting enough protection. Looking to the hills ends in disappointment.
Verse 7 says that God will keep us from “harm”. This could be translated “evil” (RSV). The Christian life isn’t a quiet escape to a garden where we can walk and talk with our Lord; it’s finding strength in the midst of trying circumstances in a difficult world. Phillips Brooks, renowned pastor of Boston’s Trinity Church, stated: “Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger people. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks.”
Sometimes God protects us even when we make dumb decisions. Yet there are times when we seem to be doing most things right, and bad things happen anyway. God hasn’t lost interest in us, He hasn’t deserted or forgotten us, and He isn’t sleeping. He has a purpose in all things, though often we’re unable to grasp the reason. We may stumble a bit along the way, but those who walk with the Lord Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, always reach their destination.
Thank You Jesus,
Brown
Here are some updates from the prayer list yesterday.
What a glorious day in the Lord we have today. As we enter into the Fall season we see the majesty of God and His wondrous works all around us, the beautiful colors, the fresh Fall air, oh such beauty from our Creator. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.
We have many prayer requests this morning but God has many more promises from His Word concerning each prayer request we bring to Him. In Isaiah we read: "How gracious He will be when you cry for help! As soon as He hears, He will answer you. Also we read in Job 22:27: "You will pray to Him, and He will hear you...so with that, I ask if you would make your request made known to God.
Patsy Carmon who had a stroke has been moved to General hospital for rehabiliation.
Eleanornore Skinner who has been hospitalized General hospital.
Rosemary Bowen who had surgery is home recovering.
Ryan Kerr,who is in hospice care, he is the nephew of Dr. Douglas Kerr.
Trudy Wesner who had complete knee replacement surgery. She may be coming home today.
Justin Brown.
Linda Ayer, for total healing.
Jack Black.
Grant DeGaramo.
Don Harbecke, 52 years old is had a quadruple heart bypass yesterday in Illinois,
he came through the surgery well. Praise the Lord.
Leslie Broughton, is going for chemo treatment.
Larry, Jane, and family who just moved to their dream house. Larry is concerned that he might lose his job in Atlanta.
Geraldine Okes (Betty DuBois’s sister) who is hospitalized, she had a heart attack and a stroke in Columbia, SC.
Jovita Naik, who is a recent college graduate, looking for a job.
Janice, our oldest daughter, who is going back to work next week, after the birth of Simeon. She works for Healthcare for the Homeless in Boston.
Our youngest daughter Jessica, who will be finishing her assignment with the Americorps in Philadlphia in few weeks.
Sunita who is attending a weeklong conference in Haiti. Sunita will be coming home tomorrow.
Pray for Cameron Tyler, (Lee and Eunice Sanford’s grandson) born 8 weeks prematurely, weighing 4 pounds, in neonatal ICU in Boston.
Pray for Kristin, Becky, Shannan - our young expecting moms.
Jane Leoffler, she is doing well now but she is still at Wilson hospital. She and her husband Charles have been married for 65 years. WOW!
Andy Morse, (Mary Lou Horn’s grandson). Andy is waiting for the biopsy results. He is still at Sloane Kettering in New York City.
Kim, a young mom had an emergency appendectomy yesterday. Kim is home now recovering.
Brolin Parker... As he recovers from surgery in Albany last week.
Burt Sweet (Retired Pastor) is still recovering from lung surgery in Watertown, NY. Please pray for Burt and his family as his health continues to be fragile.
Geno DeAngelo, Binghamton Police officer, father of four children, battling lung cancer.
Praise the Lord for those who have gone to be with Jesus, having loved him on earth.
Betty Slade in KS, Burt Dunham, Joan Purdy, Hugh Dean, Seanne McPherson's uncle, Jim Gibbore.
Pastor Brown's uncle Mamdu Naik in India. He was a staunch Hindu, who accepted the Lord a few years ago. He was baptized last year. He died last week at the age of 85. He was the husband of my mom's oldest sister. They were blessed with 6 children. All of their children except one son love the Lord and are serving Him. The Lord has blessed the entire family. One of the grandsons is an evangelist and a pastor. He was formerly an insurance company executive. He left a very lucrative position to serve the Lord in full time ministry. The Lord is using him in a spectacular way. Over two hundred people have come to Christ from very staunch Hindu families through his ministry. The Lord is doing some amazing things in India. The church is exploding like wildfire. Praise be to God.
Pray for Jack Hoppes who is going for some tests on his liver today. Jack had open heart surgery nine years ago.
Pray for Jim Haas who is working with FEMA in Ohio. Liz is going down to be with him for a few days.
Pray for Eloise Tewksbury for continued healing.
Pray for Dave and Linda Barton and the team that is going to Central America on a short term mission trip in October.
Pray for this evenings television outreach on channel 4 at 7:00 p.m.
Plan to be in the Lord's house this Sunday to worship and celebrate, invite a friend.
The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.
Psalm 145:18,19
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