A God Who Helps

Pray

Give Honor

Text: Psalms 121

Psalm 121 KJV 1900

A Song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, From whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, Which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. 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. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in From this time forth, and even for evermore.

Psalm 121 (NIV)

A song of ascents.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—

he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you—

the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm—

he will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.

Beloved,

Have you ever found yourself in a moment of doubt or fear, feeling as if you had no one to turn to for help?

Have you ever been in a place where life was getting the best of you, in that you were bombarded with trials and challenges?

Have you ever been in a place where it seemed as if you were life's punching bag, where life’s constantly knocked the wind out of you....and you felt like there was no help?

I think if we take off the masks for a moment, we can all agree that in the journey of life,

it's not uncommon for us to forget some of the fundamental truths that we've always known.

The busyness of life, the trials we face, and the uncertainties of tomorrow can sometimes cloud our vision and obscure the timeless wisdom that anchors our faith.

It reminds me of a lesson from my football days.

In the early days of August, we focused on walk-throughs and play rehearsals, getting the fundamentals right.

But as late August and early September rolled around, it was time to put on the pads.

Our coach had a method—

he'd run us until we were on the brink of exhaustion, then drill us on those same plays until they were perfect.

There were moments when fatigue set in, and we stumbled, forgetting the very basics we had learned.

But our coach's message was clear in that, even when we are tired, we are to never forget the fundamentals.

They are what carry you through when everything else seems to fail.

and this, church, is my goal this morning

—not to introduce something brand new,

but to offer a simple yet profound reminder.

‘ It's a reminder that echoes through the ages,

and that simple reminder is, that God is a God who is a HELPER.

Psalm 121 is one of the Songs of Ascents,

a collection of 15 Psalms ranging from Psalm 120 to Psalm 134.

These were the hymns sung by the people of God as they made their pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover.

As they journeyed toward the holy city, their hearts were filled with anticipation and praise.

Upon reaching Jerusalem, they found themselves at the foot of that majestic temple.

and at that temple, There stood 15 steps leading up to the sacred sanctuary.

and Legend has it, that at each step, they would pause.

And with every step upward,

they would lift their voices in song, one Psalm for each step, praising God with every breath.

These songs were not just melodies but expressions of faith, declarations of trust, and proclamations of God's goodness.

and it is within this rich tradition that Psalm 121 was sung, on that second step, reminding the faithful of their help, their strength, and their security in the Lord.

This Psalm is a song that expresses the Psalmist's trust in God's protection and care.

One writer says that this psalms reminds us of what we somehow keep forgetting—

Which is, “We do not have to live in fear, because we have a God who helps us”

Listen to the words of the Psalmist,

Psalm 121 (KJV 1900)

A Song of degrees.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,

From whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the Lord,

Which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:

He that keepeth thee will not slumber.

Behold, he that keepeth Israel

Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

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.

The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil:

He shall preserve thy soul.

The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in

From this time forth, and even for evermore.

This psalmist gives a few reminders when it comes to this text....

if you’re taking notes, He gives us a reminder of

1. The Source of Our Help

The psalmist says “Psalms 121:1-2

Psalm 121:1–2 (NIV)

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

Let's take a moment and look back to ancient times,

where pilgrims embarked on their journey to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover.

Picture the rugged terrain,

the challenges,

and the uncertainties they faced along the way.

Their eyes were lifted to the hills surrounding the holy city,

hills that symbolized not just physical obstacles

but also the trials and uncertainties of life's journey.

One may read this text as if the help would come from the hills,

however, it quite possibly is the exact opposite.

Because as beautiful and plush as these hills may seem from afar,

These hills were filled with threats, wild beasts and predators of all sorts.

There were some, however, that worshiped and created idols at the high points of these hills.

This was where they thought their help came from.

and In times of trouble, th

ey looked to the hills instead of toward Jehovah.

They built altars and worshiped idols made of rocks and wood.

and This is what brings the psalmist to state raise the question that follows the statement and that question is—"From where shall my help come?"

This is not merely a question but a profound statement of faith.

It anticipates real help,

Not help from the hills of Jerusalem, but real help.

Not help from the idols created throughout the journey of life, but real help.

and I’m inclined to believe that we, sometimes forget the source of our help.

Because our help is not in our money

Our help is not in our promotions

Our help is not in our fraternaties or sororities

Our help is not in our friend groups,

Our help is not in our social constructs,

But the writer makes it clear the source of our help...

THEY SAY OUR HELP.....Comes from the LORD....

God is the source of our help.

I will lift up my eyes to the hills!!!!

Where does my help come from?

MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD!!!!

Psalm 54:4 - "Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me."

Psalm 63:7-8 - "Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.

Hebrews 13:6 (KJV 1900)

So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Psalm 46:1-3 - "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."

God is the source of our Help.

Not our money, but GOD

Not our cars, but God

Not our bosses, but God

Not our bills, but God

Not our social media following.....But GOD is the Source of our HELP!!!!

He reminds us of...

The source of our help..

But then he reminds us of

2. The Strength of Our Helper.  Psalm 121:1–4 (KJV 1900)

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,

From whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the Lord,

Which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: or the niv says He will not let your foot slip—

In Psalm 121, the Psalmist's declaration of looking to the hills for help is not a mere poetic gesture

but a profound acknowledgment of God' strength and reliability as our Helper.

When we consider the context of the hills, we recognize that they can represent confidence in our Creator.

The Psalmist's confidence in stating, "My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth," is rooted in the foundational belief that

the Creator of the heavens and the intricate details of the earth is more than capable of assisting us in every aspect of our lives.

The Hebrew name for God used in this passage, IS "Yahweh,".

YAHWEH signifies God’s eternal and unchanging nature.

As the existent One,

He is not bound by time or limitations.

His strength is everlasting,

and His help is ever-present,

making Him a trustworthy and dependable Helper in every situation.

This acknowledgment speaks to the omnipotence of God’s unlimited power and authority over all creation.

HE. IS. A. STRONG. GOD.

He created the heavens and the earth with mere words.

He is a strong God....he took dirt from the ground,

blew breath into man,

realized man should not be alone…

Put man to sleep and takes a rib from man,

blows breath into a body formed by a rib, and man NOW HAS WOMAN.

HE IS A STRONG GOD.

The Israelites were trapped between the Red Sea and the pursuing Egyptian army, and Moses, with the STRENGTH that GOD GAVE HIM,

stretched out his staff, and the waters were parted,

allowing the Israelites to pass through on dry ground.

He is a STRONG GOD

There were three Hebrew boys,

thrown in a fiery furnace,

Furnace so hot that it burned the guards up that threw them in,

the king waits some time, look in the furnace,

sees that the who he had thrown in the furnace to die and walking around.

and the fourth man....Looks as if he were the son of God.

HE IS A STRONG GOD

His power is unmatchable

He’s sovereign and he’s capable,

He’s our anchor and our cornerstone

he’s the center to all things unknown.

Winds can not move him

Water can not drown him

Fire can not burn him

Sickness can not kill him

The devil can’t touch him

Death, can not defeat him

The Grave can’t hold him…HE GOT UP WITH ALLL POWER!!!!!!

In a world where help can often be fleeting or unreliable,

we can find unwavering assurance in God's strength.

We can trust Him completely,

knowing that His power is unmatched, His promises are sure, and His presence is constant.

His strength is our refuge,

His help is our fortress,

and His presence is our peace amid life's challenges.

Be reminded that you don’t just serve any old God.

but you serve a STRONG GOD.

He reminds us of...

The source of our help..

The strength of our helper

But lastly,

The writer reminds us of

3. The Security from Our Helper

Lets listen to the words of the Psalmist in v. 3-8

Psalm 121:3–8 (NIV)

He will not let your foot slip—

he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you—

the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm—

he will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.

This text, Goes quickly from first person, to third person.

It goes from me and my!!!

to you and your!!!

He says he will not let your foot slip.

Family, In times of uncertainty,

security becomes vital for our well-being and peace of mind.

It provides a stable foundation In the midst of the storms of life,

This in turn gives assurance and confidence to navigate challenges and difficulties.

Security empowers us to face uncertainties with resilience, faith, and a sense of stability,

Security helps us to know that we are grounded in something reliable and steadfast.

Security fosters trust in God's faithfulness and care, anchoring our hearts in His promises and sustaining us through turbulent times.

His security Stabilizes us (Verse 3)

The Psalmist write, "He will not let your foot slip."

This statement carries great theological implications,

reflecting God's unwavering commitment to stabilizing us amidst life's challenges.

It echoes the concept of divine providence,

where God's sovereign care ensures our steadfastness even in the face of adversity.

In other words....we are so secure, that even when life’s challenges try to knowck us down, we remain planted, because we are walking with the father.

Blessed is the man

That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,

Nor standeth in the way of sinners,

Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord;

And in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,

God will not let us fall

We are in fact secure because God is a God who stabalises us.

We are secure because God stabalizes

But then we are secure because

2. His security Protects us

Verses 4-6 says

"indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. " These verses underscore the theme of divine vigilance and protection.

It reflects God's omnipresence and omnipotence.

Each and every moment of our lives, God is guarding His people day and night. HE DOES NOT SLEEP.

one writer says, that I can go to sleep because God is a God who does not sleeps.

So nothing can catch us off guard.

God seeseverytghing and he knows everything.

But he’s not just up looking over our shoulders.

God is a God who’s on the front line.

He’s our refuge and our fortress.

Day and night he’s watching over us.

shielding us from harm and providing sanctuary in His presence.

God is a protector

Pslams 27

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.

For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me:

God is a protector

and his security He Keeps us (Verses 5-8)

Concluding, the Psalmist declares,

"The Lord is our keeper."

This encapsulates a profound theological truth—God's role as our eternal Keeper and Guardian.

The Lord is our keeper

It reflects the theological concept of divine sustenance, where God's faithfulness ensures our security and well-being.

The Lord is our Keeper

This assurance of being kept and guarded by God's mighty hand is rooted in His covenantal love and steadfast character

The Lord is our Keeper

This goes beyond mere human help and points to the divine assistance and protection offered by Yahweh, our Helper.

The Lord is our keeper

and thats security..

The fact that he will stabalize you

The fact that he will prothect you

and the fact that he will keep you!!!

That’s security.

God’s Security, helps us sleep better at night.

God’s Security, Helps us to be okay with not being okay

God’s Security gives us peace of mind

God’s Security gives us emotional stability

What then shall we say of these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

I’m Leaaaaannnnnnninnnngggg

Leannnnnninnnnggggg

Safe and secure from all alarm..

Leannnnnnninnnngggg

Leannnnninnnggggg

Leaning on the everlast on!!!!1