1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
I was doing a little research into this verse this past week as I was using this scripture to teach from at the service for the retirement home residents I work with. I was awed and comforted at some of the truths and depictions in this passage.
First of all, a side note in the Bible gave me a new incite to the first verse "I lift my eyes to the mountains..." I had never given that much thought. Back in the Bible times, there was an abundance of idol worship. I'll stop here and say that the same is still true today, but obviously we don't see people sacrificing animals, but we do see so much else that is sacrificed in the name of pleasure, desire, sin....Anyway, back to the Israelites...Whenever there was something going on, i.e., a famine, plague, army approaching, they would send up their leader on top of the mountain and do a sacrifice to the gods. The Israelites would then stand in the valley "looking up to the mountains" waiting for their "help" or their "answer".
We do not have to "look to the mountains". We have the right and privilege to look directly to our God! We are able to look to the MAKER of Heaven and Earth! What an amazing honor for us!
Next, we focused on 3 promises to us in the rest of the passage.
1. He will not let my foot slip --- He is our foundation, the One who we build our lives upon. He will not allow us to fall off that foundation. He is never going to look the other way while there is a storm brewing in your life. He has His mighty hand placed confidently and comfortingly over yours.
2. He will never sleep --- I need sleep. I'm no good without it. Mothers and fathers everywhere would agree that the need for sleep and the lack thereof really takes a toll on you. But, we have a Father who needs no sleep. He is available to you at any time, at any hour. I like to think that I am available to my friends and family at all times and in any time of need....but that just isn't so. I'm not everywhere at everytime. And I definitely don't have all the answers. But my God does!
3. He keeps a watchful eye over us --- He knows exactly what is happening in your life...anytime...day or night...I've heard it argued (to be honest, I've wondered it a few times, too) that if God was watching us and keeping us from all harm, why does He allow bad things to happen? Good question. I might ask that when I get to heaven...but, I doubt I'll have time for questions when I'm basking in His glory! I don't always understand why bad things happen, but I can say that I've had my share of those bad things and I'm stronger and wiser and trust Him more now than I ever did before! I love verse 8: "The Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore." Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before I formed you in your mother's womb, I knew you..." Psalms 139:13 says, "For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb." He has been at the helm when you were created, when you arrived and He will eventually usher you in His home. What a comforting thought!
God loves me. God loves you. (You can see where I'm going with this, huh? :) Since you're singing the song in your head already, I'll spare you the rest! But, in the midst of this crazy, scary and often painful world, there is a Constant, a Guide in the storm, a hand to hold! I pray that you are able to put your hand in the Master's hand today and rest in Him.
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
I was doing a little research into this verse this past week as I was using this scripture to teach from at the service for the retirement home residents I work with. I was awed and comforted at some of the truths and depictions in this passage.
First of all, a side note in the Bible gave me a new incite to the first verse "I lift my eyes to the mountains..." I had never given that much thought. Back in the Bible times, there was an abundance of idol worship. I'll stop here and say that the same is still true today, but obviously we don't see people sacrificing animals, but we do see so much else that is sacrificed in the name of pleasure, desire, sin....Anyway, back to the Israelites...Whenever there was something going on, i.e., a famine, plague, army approaching, they would send up their leader on top of the mountain and do a sacrifice to the gods. The Israelites would then stand in the valley "looking up to the mountains" waiting for their "help" or their "answer".
We do not have to "look to the mountains". We have the right and privilege to look directly to our God! We are able to look to the MAKER of Heaven and Earth! What an amazing honor for us!
Next, we focused on 3 promises to us in the rest of the passage.
1. He will not let my foot slip --- He is our foundation, the One who we build our lives upon. He will not allow us to fall off that foundation. He is never going to look the other way while there is a storm brewing in your life. He has His mighty hand placed confidently and comfortingly over yours.
2. He will never sleep --- I need sleep. I'm no good without it. Mothers and fathers everywhere would agree that the need for sleep and the lack thereof really takes a toll on you. But, we have a Father who needs no sleep. He is available to you at any time, at any hour. I like to think that I am available to my friends and family at all times and in any time of need....but that just isn't so. I'm not everywhere at everytime. And I definitely don't have all the answers. But my God does!
3. He keeps a watchful eye over us --- He knows exactly what is happening in your life...anytime...day or night...I've heard it argued (to be honest, I've wondered it a few times, too) that if God was watching us and keeping us from all harm, why does He allow bad things to happen? Good question. I might ask that when I get to heaven...but, I doubt I'll have time for questions when I'm basking in His glory! I don't always understand why bad things happen, but I can say that I've had my share of those bad things and I'm stronger and wiser and trust Him more now than I ever did before! I love verse 8: "The Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore." Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before I formed you in your mother's womb, I knew you..." Psalms 139:13 says, "For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb." He has been at the helm when you were created, when you arrived and He will eventually usher you in His home. What a comforting thought!
God loves me. God loves you. (You can see where I'm going with this, huh? :) Since you're singing the song in your head already, I'll spare you the rest! But, in the midst of this crazy, scary and often painful world, there is a Constant, a Guide in the storm, a hand to hold! I pray that you are able to put your hand in the Master's hand today and rest in Him.
This is great! God has given you many gifts, and one of them is the ability to share Scriptural truths in laymen's, laywomen's language. I love you.--Rene
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