Look Up to the Lord

Psalm 121 NKJV

God the Help of Those Who Seek Him A Song of Ascents. 1I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? 2My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. 3He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. 4Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand. 6The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. 7The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. 8The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Look Up to the Lord

THIS MORNING WE’RE GOING TO LOOK AT A PSALM ABOUT LOOKING UP. PSALM 121 IS WRITTEN TO SPEAK TO THE HEART, THE SIMPLE, POETIC FORMULA IS MEANT TO HIT HOME IN A MEMORABLE WAY.

THE IMAGERY OF THIS PSALM IS MEANT TO GIVE A SENSE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE CARE OF GOD FOR THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM.

THE SUBSCRIPT TO THIS PSALM TELLS US THAT IT IS A "SONG OF ASCENTS” THAT THIS IS A PSALM THAT WORSHIPERS WOULD SING AS THEY MADE THEIR WAY TO JERUSALEM TO PARTICIPATE IN THE THREE GREAT ANNUAL FEASTS; PASSOVER, PENTECOST AND TABERNACLES.

WHAT WE MUST UNDERSTAND IS THAT THIS IS A PILGRIM'S SONG. IT TELLS OF THE DANGERS OF THE JOURNEY, AND OF THE HELP GOD PROVIDES ALONG THE WAY.

WHEN WE LOOK AT VERSE 1 WE SHOULD NOTICE THAT THIS IS NOT A DECLARATION OF HOPE, BUT RATHER, IT IS A CRY OF DESPAIR.

THE PSALMIST IS TELLING US THAT DANGER IS LURKING AND IS WAITING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO AMBUSH THE WEARY TRAVELERS THAT PASS THROUGH. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, WHERE CAN THE PILGRIMS TURN FOR HELP?

THE PSALMIST ANSWERS HIS OWN QUESTION BY REMINDING US THAT THE LORD IS OUR HELP.

MAY I REMIND YOU THIS MORNING THAT WE ARE PILGRIMS? OUR PILGRIMAGE BEGAN THE VERY MOMENT THAT WE RECEIVED JESUS AS LORD AND SAVIOR AND IT WILL CONTINUE UNTIL WE STEP OUT OF THIS LIFE AND INTO ETERNITY.

HOWEVER, AS WE WAIT FOR THE TIME OF OUR TRANSITION THERE ARE DANGERS THAT LURKING ALL AROUND US.

THERE ARE THIEVES THAT WOULD ROB US, AND NOT JUST FOR OUR MONEY, BUT FOR YOUR PEACE, YOUR JOY AND YOUR VICTORY.

THERE ARE THOSE THAT WILL TRY TO QUENCH THE FIRE OF GOD IN OUR SOULS. THERE ARE PROBLEMS THAT WOULD STRIP US OF THE GLORY, AND THE POWER OF GOD.

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU ALL, BUT I HAVE SEEN THROUGH THESE DIFFICULT DAYS IN MY LIFE. I’VE SEEN DAYS WHEN DANGERS SURROUNDED MY LIFE AND I WONDERED WHERE MY HELP WOULD COME FROM. THERE WERE TIMES WHEN I WONDER HOW I WAS GOING TO MAKE IT. TIMES WHEN I FELT ALL ALONE.

SOMEBODY MIGHT FEEL LIKE THAT THIS MORNING! IF YOU DO, THEN ALLOW ME TO ENCOURAGE YOU WITH THIS PSALM. IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING THIS MORNING, OR YOU ARE AWARE THAT PROBLEMS MIGHT BE LURKING AROUND THE NEXT CORNER, THEN THIS PSALM IS FOR YOU.

I LOVE WHEN HE SAYS I WILL LIFT MY EYES TO THE HILLS, FROM WHENCE COMETH MY HELP.

NOTICE WHAT HE SAID, HE SAID THAT HE WOULD LIFT HIS EYES TO AND NOT INTO THE HILLS. DON’T MISS THIS.

HE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE SOURCE OF OUR HELP, AND HE BELIEVED IN OUR CREATOR. THE PSALMIST KNEW THAT HIS HELP WOULD NOT COME FROM THE HILLS.

BECAUSE IN TIMES PAST, THE HILLS HAD BEEN PLACES OF IDOLATRY AND FALSE RELIGION, AND NO HELP CAN BE FOUND IN A FALSE GOD, SO HE LIFTED HIS EYES TO AND BEYOND THE HILLS.

I BELIEVE WHAT THE WRITER OF THIS TEXT WOULD HAVE US TO UNDERSTAND. LOOK UP — FOR THIS WILL KEEP --

• THE HEAD FROM SWIMMING

• THE HEART FROM SINKING

• THE KNEES FROM TREMBLING

• THE FEET FROM SLIPPING

• THE HANDS FROM HANGING DOWN!

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO US, OR WHAT WILL BE REQUIRED OF US — BUT “LOOK UP TO THE LORD!” THIS DIRECTION, IF PROPERLY ATTENDED TO, WILL -

• PROCURE FOR US ALL THAT WE NEED

• SECURE US AGAINST ALL THAT WE DREAD

• MAKE US MORE THAN A MATCH FOR ALL OUR FOES AND FEARS!

LOOK UP TO THE LORD

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, IF YOU ARE GOING THROUGH TODAY, CAN I JUST TELL YOU “LOOK UP TO THE LORD” AND HEAR JESUS SAYING TO YOU, “DO NOT BE AFRAID — I MYSELF WILL HELP YOU!”

• ARE YOU DISCOURAGED? -- “LOOK UP TO THE LORD”

• ARE YOU DOWNTRODDEN -- “LOOK UP TO THE LORD”

• ARE YOU DEPRESSED -- “LOOK UP TO THE LORD”

THIS 121ST PSALM HAS BEEN ONE OF MY FAVORITES FOR YEARS.

I SUSPECT IT HAS BEEN FOR MANY OF YOU, AS WELL. IT’S ONE OF THE STAPLES OF THE FAITH WE LEARN EARLY ON THEN REPEAT OFTEN, ESPECIALLY IN TIMES OF TROUBLE - “I WILL LIFT UP MY EYES TO THE HILLS, FROM WHENCH COMETH MY HELP.”

• BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

• AND HOW DOES IT SPEAK TO US TODAY?

• WHERE DOES YOUR HELP COME FROM?

THE KING JAMES VERSION OF THE BIBLE, THE OPENING WORDS ARE TRANSLATED –

• “I WILL LIFT UP MINE EYES UNTO THE HILLS, FROM WHENCE COMETH MY HELP”

• HEAR THE DIFFERENCE?

• IT’S NOT A QUESTION, BUT A STATEMENT OF FACT

WHERE DOES YOUR HELP COME FROM WHEN THINGS GO CONTRARY IN YOUR LIFE?

• WHEN A RELATIONSHIP BEGINS TO FAIL?

• WHEN YOUR TEENAGE SON OR DAUGHTER STARTS RUNNING WITH THE WRONG CROWD?

• WHEN YOUR WORK BECOMES MORE OF A BURDEN THAN YOU CAN STAND?

• WHEN A LOVED ONE DIES?

• WHEN YOU SUFFER A CRISIS OF FAITH AND FIND IT HARD TO PRAY?

• WHEN YOU WONDER TO YOURSELF -- DOES GOD REALLY CARE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER?

ISSUES LIKE THESE ARE ALL TOO COMMON.

THE PSALMIST ANSWERS WITH A CLEAR AND CERTAIN VOICE - “MY HELP COMES FROM YAHWEH, WHO MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH.”

IT APPEARS THAT DAVID WROTE THIS PSALM AFTER HE WAS KING, WHICH MEANS IT WAS AFTER HE HAD SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN THOSE HILLS, THE ONES TO WHICH HE WAS LIFTING HIS EYES.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN THOSE HILLS? FOR YEARS, MAYBE AS MANY AS TEN OR FIFTEEN YEARS, HE HAD HIDDEN IN THOSE VERY HILLS, FROM AN EVIL KING WHO WANTED TO KILL HIM.

WHEN DAVID LIFTED HIS EYES UP TO THE HILLS, HE DIDN’T JUST SEE A BEAUTIFUL VIEW. HE SAW HIS LIFE FLASH BEFORE HIS EYES.

• HE REMEMBERED MOVING FROM ONE HILL TO ANOTHER

• HE REMEMBERED MOVING FROM ONE CAVE TO ANOTHER

• HE REMEMBERED HIDING IN THE BACK OF A CAVE WHILE THE KING SLEPT IN THE FRONT, WORKING HIS WAY AROUND ONE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN WHILE THE KING AND HIS ARMY MARCHED INEXORABLY AROUND THE OTHER SIDE

• WHEN DAVID LOOKED AT THOSE HILLS, HE SAW DESPAIR AND GRIEF AND DARKNESS AND HOPELESSNESS

• BUT WHEN HE LOOKED BEYOND THOSE HILLS, HE SAW SOMETHING MORE -

O HE SAW PROTECTION

O HE SAW DELIVERANCE

O HE SAW SAFETY IN THE CLEFT OF THE ROCK

• BEYOND THE HILLS, DAVID KNEW THE PRESENCE OF GOD

WHEN DAVID BECAME KING, HE WANTED TO REMEMBER THAT EVEN IN THE DARKEST PLACES, GOD WAS STILL THERE, LEADING HIM, PROTECTING HIM, FULFILLING THE PROMISE HE HAD GIVEN HIM WHEN HE WAS A YOUTH, EVEN WHEN IT SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE.

HE WANTED TO REMEMBER, EVEN AS HE SAT ON A THRONE, THAT THE SAME LORD WHO HAD HELPED HIM WHEN HE WAS HIDING IN THE HILLS —EVEN IN THE TIMES WHEN HE COULDN’T PERCEIVE GOD’S HELP — THE LORD WOULD BE HELPING HIM STILL.

SOMETIMES, WE FIND OURSELVES ATTACKED IN AREAS WHERE WE ARE WEAK. OUR ENEMY KNOWS ALL ABOUT OUR WEAKNESSES.

OTHER TIMES, WE MAY FIND THAT WE ARE ATTACKED IN AREAS WHERE WE ARE THE STRONGEST.

THE POINT IN THIS, WE WILL BE ATTACKED, AND WE NEVER KNOW WHERE THE ATTACK WILL COME FROM, BUT IT NEVER CATCHES GOD OFF GUARD.

HE IS ALWAYS READY TO SHIELD US AND TO PROTECT US FROM OUR ENEMIES.

• LIFT UP YOUR EYES TO YOUR OWN “HILLS”

• WHAT ARE YOUR OWN HILLS?

• THEY ARE YOUR TIME OF GREATEST DARKNESS AND DESPAIR, WHEN IT SEEMED THAT GOD HAD FORGOTTEN YOU, BUT WHEN AFTERWARDS YOU COULD LOOK BACK TO SEE THAT HE WAS REALLY HOLDING YOU

• HE WAS THERE ALL THE TIME

WHAT ARE YOUR HILLS THIS MORNING? ARE YOU IN THEM NOW, CRYING OUT FOR GOD TO BE THERE WITH YOU IN THE DARKNESS AND HIDING AND FEAR?

• ARE YOU FEELING LIKE HE HAS ABANDONED YOU?

• DON’T LOSE HEART

• HOLD ON TO HOPE

• TRUST HIM TO FINISH WHAT HE HAS STARTED

THERE WILL COME A DAY WHEN YOU WILL LIFT YOUR EYES TO THOSE HILLS AND SAY, “SEE THOSE HILLS RIGHT THERE? THOSE, RIGHT THERE. “THEY ARE THE PLACE OF MY GREATEST DESPAIR - GRIEF - DARKNESS - HOPELESSNESS. AND THEN YOU’LL SAY, “BUT THEY ARE ALSO THE PLACE OF MY GREATEST PROTECTION AND DELIVERANCE.

THEY ARE THE PLACE I WAS KEPT SAFE IN THE CLEFT OF THE ROCK. THEY ARE THE PLACE I BEGAN TO KNOW THE PRESENCE OF GOD.”

• YES, THE PAIN WAS REAL – “LOOK UP TO THE LORD”

• I ALMOST LET GO - “LOOK UP TO THE LORD”

• I WAS HURTING AND READY TO THROW IN THE TOWEL - “LOOK UP TO THE LORD”

“I LIFT MY EYES TO THE HILLS” IS THE WORSHIPER’S DECLARATION OF TRUST AND DEPENDENCE UPON GOD FOR HELP.

THE TRUE WORSHIPER WAS GOING TO MEET WITH THE LORD AND OFFER SACRIFICES OF PRAISE BECAUSE THE LORD HIS GOD, CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE, WAS THE SINGULAR SOURCE OF HELP.

• FROM THE ELEVATED PLACE OF HIS HOLY PRESENCE, GOD WOULD GRANT ASSISTANCE AND DELIVERANCE

LOOK UP TO THE LORD…

• PSALM 3:4 “I CALL OUT TO THE LORD, AND HE ANSWERS ME FROM HIS HOLY MOUNTAIN”

• FROM HIS SACRED DWELLING PLACE, THE LORD WOULD OFFER EVERLASTING SECURITY

• PSALM 125:2 “AS THE MOUNTAINS SURROUND JERUSALEM, SO THE LORD SURROUNDS HIS PEOPLE BOTH NOW AND FOREVERMORE”

• HILLS ARE HIGH THINGS -- THEY WERE OFTEN PLACES OF WORSHIP OFTEN OF IDOLS, FALSE GODS

• THE HILLS NOT SUFFICIENT TO MEET OUR NEEDS

WE ALL HAVE HILLS THAT WE LOOK TO.

IN SPITE OF HILLS, JERUSALEM WAS OFTEN DEFEATED. HILLS ARE NOT THE ULTIMATE SOURCE OF HELP.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE “HILLS” THAT PEOPLE LOOK TO TODAY?

• THERE IS THE HILL OF MY OWN ABILITY AND MY OWN SELF EFFORT -- I CAN MAKE IT ON MY OWN. I WILL BE COMFORTED BY MY OWN ABILITY TO CONTROL THINGS

• THERE IS THE HILL OF FRIENDSHIP - I WILL DEPEND ON MY FRIENDS TO COMFORT, KEEP, AND HELP ME

• THERE IS THE HILL OF POPULARITY -- AS LONG AS I AM LOVED AND ACCEPTED BY OTHERS, I’M OKAY

ARE THESE HILLS WHERE MY HELP IS COMING FROM?

• THE HILL OF MY OWN ABILITY AND SELF EFFORT – I AM HUMAN. I AM FALLIBLE. I AM A SINNER. I HAVE FAILED GOD

• THE HILL OF FRIENDSHIP – FRIENDS OFTEN FAIL US, DISAPPOINT US, AND EVEN DIE

• THE HILL OF POPULARITY – IT IS TEMPORARY, AND FALLIBLE, JUST AS SOON AS THEY LIFT YOU UP THEY WILL PULL YOU BACK DOWN

IF THESE THINGS ARE MY “HILLS,” I DON’T HAVE MUCH HELP.

• VS. 2 – “MY HELP COMETH FROM THE LORD, WHICH MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH”

• HE HAS ALL THE POWER NEEDED AS CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE!

MAKE SURE YOUR HELP IS COMING FROM THE LORD.

MAKE HIM YOUR CHOICE

VS. 5-6 “THE LORD IS THY KEEPER: THE LORD IS THY SHADE UPON THY RIGHT HAND. THE SUN SHALL NOT SMITE THEE BY DAY, NOR THE MOON BY NIGHT.

• GOD IS A GREAT KEEPER!

• HE HAS ALL THE RESOURCES OF THE UNIVERSE AT HIS DISPOSAL TO MEET MY NEEDS

• HE HAS ALL THE POWER OF OMNIPOTENCE TO PROTECT ME, SO THAT NOTHING UNDER THE SUN OR UNDER THE MOON CAN HURT ME, UNLESS IT IS IN HIS PERFECT WILL FOR MY LIFE

IF WE HAD TIME THIS MORNING WE COULD HAVE TESTIMONIES OF JUST HOW GOD HAS KEPT EACH ONE OF US.

• HE HAS KEPT US WHEN FINANCES WERE LOW – YOU HAVE BEEN BROKE BEFORE

• HE HAS KEPT US WHEN WE WERE IN DANGER – YOU HAD TO HIDE OUT BEFORE

• HE HAS KEPT US FROM THE SLANDER OF OTHERS – YOU HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT BEFORE

• HE HAS KEPT US DURING TIMES OF SICKNESS AND HEALTH – YOU HAVE BEEN SICK BEFORE

• HE HAS KEPT US DURING DIFFICULT AND EMOTIONAL TIMES – YOU HAVE CRIED ALL NIGHT BEFORE

• HE HAS KEPT US ALIVE DURING COVID, AND EVEN WHEN WE DIE, HE WILL STILL KEEP US

I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE SOMEBODY TODAY.

• SOME OF YOU ARE NEW BELIEVERS IN THE LORD - YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE KEPT BY GOD

• SOME OF YOU ARE FACING WORK PROBLEMS, FAMILY PROBLEMS, FRIEND PROBLEMS, SCHOOL PROBLEMS, AND/OR OTHER KINDS OF PROBLEMS - YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE KEPT BY GOD

• SOME OF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR SERIOUS PROBLEM - YOU STILL NEED TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE KEPT BY GOD, BECAUSE PROBLEMS WILL COME!

GOD HAS PROMISED HIS PRESENCE AND HELP TO THE CHRISTIAN WHO IS GOING THROUGH SOMETHING.

• NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE – YOU ARE KEPT BY GOD

• NO MATTER WHAT THE OBSTACLES IN YOUR LIFE - YOU ARE KEPT BY GOD

• NO MATTER THE HOUR OF THE DAY - YOU ARE KEPT BY GOD

• NO MATTER WHAT THE CONDITIONS - YOU ARE KEPT BY GOD

• NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES - YOU ARE KEPT BY GOD

--FOR JOSEPH OF THE BOOK OF GENESIS, THE “HILLS” HE LOOKED TO MIGHT HAVE BEEN A MEMORY OF HIS YEARS IN THE DUNGEON, WAITING FOR THE PURPOSES OF GOD TO BE FULFILLED - AND THEY WERE, FAR BEYOND HIS IMAGINATION

--FOR THE APOSTLE PETER, THE “HILLS” HE LOOKED TO MIGHT HAVE BEEN A MEMORY OF HIS FALTERING AND FAILING WHEN HE FOLLOWED JESUS AS A DISCIPLE, KNOWING THAT JESUS LOVED HIM AND PROTECTED HIM AND EVENTUALLY FILLED HIM WITH HIS HOLY SPIRIT TO DO MIRACLES AND PREACH WITH POWER.

--FOR THE APOSTLE PAUL, THE “HILLS’ HE LOOKED TO MIGHT HAVE BEEN ALL THE CHRISTIANS HE KILLED AND IMPRISONED THINKING HE WAS DOING GOD’S BIDDING UNTIL HE MET JESUS FOR HIMSELF ON THE OLD DUSTY DAMASCUS ROAD AND CHANGED THE WHOLE TRAJECTORY OF HIS LIFE

--FOR JESUS, THE “HILLS” HE LOOKED TO WERE THE HILL AND CROSS OF CALVARY THAT HE HAD TO ENDURE FOR THE JOY THAT HE KNEW WAS SET BEFORE HIM ON THE OTHER SIDE

--JESUS SAID “AND I, IF I BE LIFTED UP FROM THE EARTH, I WILL DRAW ALL MEN UNTO ME”

--LOOK UP TO THE LORD THIS MORNING