"LOOK UP!"

There’s so much in this life we can start to feel anxious about right? What if I get sick? What if I loose my job? What if I have no money or friends or whatever??? We know the truth about God and His Word and believe that God’s in control, but it can still be a daily battle in our hearts, in our minds.

I want to give you some hope today from God’s Word. If you find yourself discouraged, struggling, or weary today then here is what I want to encourage you with. Write this down. If you don’t need it, there may be someone close to you that does and you can share it with them.

We must choose to look up! Let me say this again, “Look Up!”

So, often in this life we just keep looking around us and we can easily get defeated. We do have someone who can help us get through the tough times. But, we have to look up. In Jerusalem the place of worship was up on the hill. In Scripture we see that people went up to Jerusalem. (Luke 2:22, “they brought Jesus up to Jerusalem.”) The writer of this psalm was reminding himself and telling us that God is always there. When we look up we are reminded that God is there and wants us to worship Him and meet with Him.

Psalm 121 is a Song of Ascent. In fact, it is one of 15 different songs of Ascent and this would be a song that the pilgrims sang as they would make their way to Jerusalem to celebrate a number of annual festivals like:

-Passover.

-Feast of the Weeks.

-Feast of the Tabernacles.

Along their journey up to Jerusalem they would sing this song, because remember Jerusalem set up on Mt. Zion. The roads were somewhat treacherous and there were potential thieves or robbers who could attack them. So, the pilgrims would sing this Psalm of Ascents to remind them that God was with them and guarding them as they journeyed to worship Him. Let’s take a look at this wonderful song and it’s reminder that as we look up to God He is our Keeper!

Psalm 121 ESV

A Song of Ascents. 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. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

Let me ask you today, how many of us just like the Psalmist here, have asked this same question? “Where will my help come from?” Is there anyone who can truly help me? God help me! Are you there, and if so will you help me? In this life it may be hard to ask for help, but we are reminded how much we truly need it. Everyday we need the Lord’s help. We need His help to breath and just survive. We need the Lord’s help to make wise choices and live rightly. We need God’s help as we help others or our children. We need God’s help with our jobs. We need God’s help in every area of our lives. So, that is why I want us to see where are help comes from.

1. Our help comes from the Mighty Creator!

Here in verses 1-2 the singer of this psalm identifies the Lord as their help.

Verse 2 here tells us, "My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." The phrase maker of heaven and earth appears 3 different times in these songs of ascent. First, here in verse 2 then we see it in Psalm 124:8 and again in Psalm 134:3. God our Almighty Father is the maker of heaven and earth.

What this shows us today is that God is All-powerful. God is a mountain mover and Creator of heaven and earth. He's with us, always. He breathes help and strength into our souls, into our day. There are many mornings where we can just wake up and take this for granted, however there are other mornings or even late into the night where we realize just how much we desperately need God’s help and strength. One of the amazing things about God and His Word is that we constantly see that God is the creator of this world and even over everything in this life including you and me.

Genesis 1:1 ESV

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Psalm 148:5 ESV

Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created.

Isaiah 40:28 ESV

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.

Isaiah 42:5 ESV

Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it:

God has uniquely created you and I. There are no two people the same. Today God has a plan for your life. In fact, He has always had a plan for your life. God knows what He is doing and knows what is going on in your life even now. God is a mighty Creator over all the problems of life. Right now lets remember who God is. He is the Mighty Creator. How awesome and powerful He is, let us find strength in Him today.

2. Our help comes from God who is a tireless worker.

(Illustration of my dad and His job and still helping me with my paper route.)

God never sleeps. “He who keeps you will not slumber.” Verse 3 tells us. God is a tireless worker. He never wearies. Think of God as a major go getter or worker in your life. Yes, it is amazing to think about what God is doing behind the scenes. We can so easily think of ourselves as workers in God’s life always serving Him. But, the Bible wants us first to be amazed that God is a worker in our lives:

Listen to how the prophet Isaiah explains this.

Isaiah 64:4 ESV

From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.

God is acting and working for us around the clock. He does not take days off like some of us do and he does not sleep. In fact he is so ready to work for us that he goes around looking for more work to do for people who will trust him:

2 Chronicles 16:9 ESV

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.”

My point is this. God loves to show his tireless power and wisdom and goodness by working for people who trust him. How do we know this? How can we be so sure of this ??? Well when we come to the Gospels we read about the sending of his Son, Jesus. Jesus was the main way the Father showed this:

Mark 10:45 ESV

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Throughout the Life of Jesus, we see that He was constantly doing His Father’s Work. He was serving, healing, and helping others. Eventually Christ gave up his life so that we could have real everlasting life. What this shows us is that we have a God who is for us. He cares about each and everyone of our lives. Look up to Him today and call out to Him and know that He is there. He is working for us even when we don’t realize it.

3. Our help comes from our Mighty Protector.

(In Sports there are several people that we would call “protectors of the net.” These men or women protect in hockey or in soccer their net. Their only job is to stop the puck or ball from entering in their goal. So, they do everything they can to protect their net and from allowing the other team to score a goal.)

Protection was a big deal for any pilgrim passing through a vast a lonely country. The pilgrim or psalmist looks beyond the hills here where potential trouble may be waiting and get his mind focused on the creator of the hills. “My help comes from the Lord.”

My point is this, God protects His own. God protects His sheep or His flock. He does not desire for His sheep to stumble. Now we can choose to do this on our own when we choose to sin and hurt ourselves, however that is not what God desires for us. Verse 5 reminds us of this.

"The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand." v. 5 He keeps us, safe, in His care. He protects us like the shade protects from the heat of the day. But why does the palmist mention the "right hand?" Because it is known as the hand that works, so we can be assured that whatever He's given us to do in this life, His covering of protection rests over all of our work and efforts.

"The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your life." v. 7 God protects us from "all evil," not some, but "all." It does not have the final say over our lives. Fear of death, disease, and hardship has lost its sting, why? Because our lives are hidden with Christ in God. We are God’s children. God's power is greater than whatever darkness we might face. For He is the soul-keeper and He holds all of our tomorrows.

"The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever." v. 8 God watches over us, constantly, His eyes are towards us. He cannot look away from those He loves. He watches our coming and our going, and all in between. He watches over our family and children, even when we cannot see them. We do not have to worry, for He strongly supports those whose hearts are His. He is our Mighty Protector. Do you believe that today? I hope you do because God’s Word right here in Psalm 121 assures us of this.

Conclusion:

The message is this today. God goes with you. I want us to know this right now. Yes, this life comes with many difficult days and dangers. But, you have a guardian, a protector and He is with you today. Our lives are in God’s hand, and because of that we have nothing to fear. We can sleep soundly knowing this wonderful truth.

Choosing today, to set your eyes on God. For if He made all of heaven and earth, surely He has a Sovereign, incredible plan, for you and for me. He knows our way in this journey of life, and He’s a “with us” God.

(Close in Prayer and lead into Communion)