Dependent On God Alone

Introduction: As you will notice, the title of this Psalm is “A Song of Degrees.” There are many view as to why it is called this. We do know that this Psalm is one within a collection of 15 different Psalms; 120-134. When it comes to “the degrees,” few will claim it simply has to do with the ascending musical notes of the songs. Others will say that it was a military Psalm used by Hezekiah when the Assyrian army was threatening Judea and Jerusalem. There are some who believe that as the Priest would climb the 15 steps up to the temple, he would sing these songs in ascending order. However, the majority align with the belief that these “Songs of degree” are the songs of those who pilgrim there way to Jerusalem three times a year to attend three different Pilgrimage festivals.

These songs could very well be used for all of these occasions. However, I will be looking at it from the traveler’s perspective. I place myself in the sandles of the Jerusalem bound pilgrim heading to the place where the presence of Whom his soul is completely depended upon; God!

You may not be a pilgrim journeying through the eastern mountains, but you are someone who is always exposed to many dangerous forces than sometimes you are never aware of. You may have an office job or work out in the elements. You may be a doctor, teacher, homemaker, stay at home mom, student, etc. It is my objective to lead you to live your life with this single truth; I am completely dependent on God FOR EVERYTHING!

As the psalmist anticipates his journey through “the hills” to Jerusalem, a route filled with anxiety, he seeks for help, perhaps looking around and within, and then finally looks up.

1) God Alone Is My Helper (vv1-2)

A. The search for sufficient help

You can imagine David and others pilgriming their way to Jerusalem, but on their way they gaze upon the mountains that surround them.

These hills were impressive in their own right. Jerusalem was enthroned on them.

Jerusalem was not situated near a broad river nor did it have a great harbor fronting a great sea.

In was not on a main highway, but rather off the beaten bath.

All it had was hills. (2,550 feet above the level of the Mediterranean & 3,800 feet above the level of the Dead Sea)

Among all the transcendent surrounding hills, there was not found any help for the pilgrim.

Scriptures reveal to us that those hills often displayed scenes of idolatrous worship.

B. The Source of sufficient help

The pilgrim now looks far above the created mountains to the creator of the mountains.

There was a Helper! The God who made those hills.

Isaiah 40:9-12

The Lord was his King, the Lord who made heaven and earth, the Lord who could take all the vast reaches of space, the enormous distances between the stars, billions upon billions of light years—the Lord could take all those inconceivable distances and, anthropomorphically speaking, hold them between His little finger and His thumb. What a God! What a King! - Phillips, J. (2012). Exploring Psalms 89–150: An Expository Commentary (Vol. 2, Ps 121:2). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.

Psa 3:4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.

When you think there is no way God can shine through Satan’s handiwork, remember this, this is still my Father’s world!

Turn to: Psalm 104:2-9

2) God Alone Is My Keeper (vv3-6)

A. God provides stability

Let’s be honest, the Lord knows exactly how easy it is for us to slip; “moved”

“Moved” = slip, slide, to stagger, to be shaken.

You can take great courage in the fact that the Lord knows how easy it is for you to slip.

Question: Have you ever had “second” thoughts? I am referring to second thoughts after making some bold commitment to God.

Illustration: Medal of Honor recipients have at least one thing in common; they responded to the impulse of the moment.

The Lord also knows how easy it is for us to lack awareness.

It is so easy for us, after making some commitment to God, getting comfortable and do nothing.

The Psalmist knew exactly why he depended upon God’s ability to never lose sight of him.

Let us put God into perspective: Take our sun, for instance, a ball of fire that astronomers classify as a moderate star, neither small nor large on the stellar scale. It has a diameter of 864,000 miles, but it is all gas. Two billion billion billion tons of gas. Over every square inch of the core there presses down a crushing weight of a million million pounds of matter. The only thing that keeps the sun’s core from collapsing is energy, inconceivable floods of energy that raise the sun’s internal temperature to twenty-five million degrees Fahrenheit. Consuming 657 million tons of hydrogen each second, the sun can still go on burning for another fifty billion years. And that’s just one moderate star. The amount of energy being put out by all the suns and stars of space is beyond human computation. - Phillips, J. (2012). Exploring Psalms 89–150: An Expository Commentary (Vol. 2, Ps 121:3–4). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.

B. God provides protection (vv5-6)

You and I are vulnerable on every side. (v5)

God looks down on us from Heaven, but is at our side to shield us from harm.

His will may allow physical and emotional pain for His own purposes and glory, but He will never permit spiritual harm to come to you.

Never mistake the strength you have to be something you created yourself!

Listen, you never know from when and from where Satan will launch an attack from! (family, friends, from weak side or strong side).

When it comes to the attacks of Satan, I love how John Phillips puts it: “Because we all are vulnerable, we all need the Lord to stand on our right hand with His right hand outstretched to defend us no matter from which quarter the offensive comes.”

You and I are vulnerable in all seasons. (v6)

Sunstroke was common by day while moon-stroke was common by night.

The sun and moon are great blessings to mankind, yet because of sin, they both can brings harm to your body.

Example: God kept Israel in the wilderness by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

Also, Jews refer to a lunar calendar (sun=days & moon=months). Whether day to day, month to month or year to year, God provides His eternal protection.

3) God Alone Is My Preserver (vv7-8)

A. God preserves us from pointless harm (v7)

I say pointless simply because God will use the wicked nature of man for purposes of future good and glory.

I guaranty there have been times when you, “I thought God was supposed to protect me from things like this?”

Listen, without God, there would never be a broken heart, a tear filled eye or any other painful experience work our for good.

Illustration: Joseph (Gen. 50:20)

B. God preserves your soul (v7)

“from evil”

Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

You and I carry within us a sleeping volcano; capable of any sin. What is our hope to overcome?

Because of the Lord, we are not let to the desires of our flesh, but are given a Spirit that rises up against it; Holy Spirit.

Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

You who have believed on Jesus and confessed Him as Savior have been given eternal life.

All souls who have been given life are His!

C. God’s preservation is eternal (v8)

Time nor space limits the reach of God’s preservation over His children.

Illustration: Under the Mosaic law it was incumbent on a devout Jew to inscribe verses from the Mosaic law on his gates. Thus each time he went out he took with him a word from God. That word was to keep him alert in all his journeys, business dealings, and contacts with others. He was a member of the family of God and he must conduct himself as such. Upon his return home, as he passed his gate again, he would once more be reminded of his relationship to the law. He could review his activities since last he passed his gate to see if he had been true to God’s Word. And on his way back into his home, he would be reminded again that he must conduct himself as a believing man to all those who lived under his roof. - Phillips, J. (2012). Exploring Psalms 89–150: An Expository Commentary (Vol. 2, Ps 121:8). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.

Illustration: Devout Jews to this day keep a small metal cylinder fixed to the right-hand door post of their homes. The cylinder contains a parchment inscribed with the words of Deuteronomy 6:4–9 and 11:13–21. As they pass in and out of the house they touch this cylinder and recite the last verse of Psalm 121. - Phillips, J. (2012). Exploring Psalms 89–150: An Expository Commentary (Vol. 2, Ps 121:8). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.

Conclusion: Have your trusted your soul into the hands of the God of eternal preservation? Have you repented and totally trusted Jesus alone as Savior?

Christian, how are you going to live this gift of a new year? Will it be in your own fickle wavering abilities or are you going to live you life in complete dependance on the all sufficient God who helps, keeps and preserves your soul? I pray you will accept and live in light of the honest reality of your complete dependence on God!