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ALL OF MY HELP
Introduction
What does it look like to ascend to one’s highest potential?
I thought about Serena Williams, famous tennis player that recently retired at the age of 37. Serena Williams was born in Saginaw, Michigan.
She is the youngest of five sisters.
Serena began playing tennis at the age of four and quickly showed signs of greatness.
She always strived for perfection.
The family moved to Compton, California, and Serena’s father, became her first tennis coach.
He helped her develop a powerful serve and an aggressive playing style that would become her trademark.
Her father moved the family from Compton to West Palm Beach, Florida, when Serena was nine years old, so that she and her sisters could train at the Rick Macci Tennis Academy.
It was there that Rick Macci, who would become her coach and mentor.
He was blown away by Serena’s talent and potential, but he was also impressed by her work ethic and dedication.
Many of us will never know what that feels like to ascend to our highest potential.
Why?
Because our belief that we can reach great heights is not strong enough.
What are you saying Pastor?
I’m saying that in order to go someplace you’ve never been, you must exercise your faith like never before.
You see even when Serena turned professional early and initially she was losing.
Although she lost numerous times her belief was so strong she kept on playing until she began to to win.
Your belief in yourself and your God given abilities must be strong.
The majority of people miss opportunity, not because of lack of potential or lack of talent but rather lack of faith.
The size of our faith in many way dictates the how high we will ascend.
If Serena Williams can have unshakeable belief in her own ability, why can’t we have unshakeable belief in God’s ability to elevate us?
God’s willingness to take us higher?
Our faith is the ultimate measure of our belief in God.
My brothers and sisters this Life is a journey.
A journey which
can be long,
it can be difficult
it can bring unexpected events.
and yes,
sometimes we lose
Nevertheless the journey itself is not the goal.
Our journey ought to take us somewhere.
Sometimes on a journey with my husband he will decide to take an alternate route.
If we ride too long and I cannot figure out what he is doing, I get frustrated.
I become impatient.
And if it takes longer than expected I might even voice my dissatisfaction.
I have an expectation that this journey is going somewhere and we are not simply riding around.
The bible say that the Children of Israel were on a journey.
It was a 4 day, 40 mile trip.
The Songs of Ascent is a collection of 15 Psalms (Psalm 120-134).
The Hebrew term means goings up is a reference to pilgrims going up to Jerusalem for the three required festivals.
On their journey they would sing.
Eventhough they were going to Jerusalem to worship the people didn’t wait until they got to the temple to worship.
They started praising the Lord in song on the way.
The songs told of their faith.
They had faith that the journey would be safe and they would reach their destination.
Let’s go to Ps 121
Psalm 121 “A Song of Ascents
The first thing the pilgrims understood was;
The Lord is on my side - tell somebody the Lord is on my side.
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
We expect attacks from lions, tigers and bears.
However we don’t expect attacks from our own kind.
Attacks from other people, attacks from family.
So right away the pilgrims acknowledged they were going to need help to make this journey and that the Lord would be that help.
There were three know routes from Gaililee to Jerusalem aroud the west of Samaria, around the east of Samaria or the shortest but most dangerous route straight through Samaria.
The former northern kingdom—the Samaritans—vigorously opposed the former southern trying to reestablish the nation.
The Jews which were full-blooded with one God could not stand their cousins, the Samaritians, with the mixed marriages.
So walls of bitterness were erected on both sides for over 500 years.
The bible says when you look up, towards the hills, would the hills be my help?
even the hills were tall and majestic, the pilgrams needed to look past the hills to the heavens.
The heavens where the Lord resides.
My help will come from the Lord.
He made the heavens and the earth, including the tall majestic hills.
Hills are to be admired, the Lord is to be worshiped.
My bothers and sisters on your journey don’t focus on your adversary, focus on the Lord.
If you belong to Him unsterstand The Lord is on my side
2. The next thing the pilgrims understood was;
The Lord never sleeps;
He will not let your foot be moved;
The songwriter said, I shall not be moved.
Just like a tree, plant by the water, I shall not be moved.
I don’t know about you but the only movement of my feet, will be in the forward direction.
Because on Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.
Don’t look down at your feet, look up at him.
As long as your focus is on him you can continue moving in the forward direction.
he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord will not allow his children to be overtaken.
On a 4 day journery at some point the pilgrims, would have to sleep.
If their enemies were hiding in the hills, they could overtake the pilgrims in their sleep.
But the Lord never sleeps.
My friends just a few weeks ago heard a noise in the night.
They thought it was their son coming into the house; not realizing their son was already in the house.
The next morning they realized that while they slept, a burglar used a brick to break the sliding patio door.
Entered the home and stole items while they were in the bedrooms sleeping.
But the Lord protected that family.
He didn’t allow them to wake up and have a confrontation with the robber.
The Lord did not allow any harm to come to the family.
The family was asleep but the Lord was not .
He protected them all night long.
Aren’t you glad that the Lord does not sleep?
v 5.The next thing the pilgrims understood was;
The Lord is my Keeper
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