I lift up my eyes to the hills- 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.
Psalm 121
Consider the lilies of the field… Matt 6:28
thedailylily.com 
What reassuring promises are in this psalm that we can meditate on and count on as we journey each day. And it gives security to know that when God makes a promise, we can take it to the bank.
“The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.” Psalm 145:13
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the HILL. After taking his seat, his disciples came to him. He preached the Beatitudes.
Jesus said, “While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” But when I am ascended, then,”You are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hidden.”
At face value, this Psalm speaks of trusting in God, only. Look not to any man or trust in man but look to the Heavens, the Hills, the Higher planes where God is enthroned. He is the Watcher of our souls.
But in further study of those particular Scriptures, could it also mean, as stated in the New Testament where Jesus said that while He was in the world He was the Light of the world, the Light on the top of the hill.
And after His resurrection then we become the light of the world, letting our light so shine before men; displaying our light on the Hill tops, a shining city, the Body of Christ, that could not be hidden and that attracts souls to the light of the living God within us.
Yes, men must look unto the Light of the Gospel of Christ, that shining Light of truth. But HE has commissioned His saints here on earth to display and project that light that men might come to its shining through our conduct, obedience to the Word and our deeds.
How can anyone read this blog and not be encouraged?
Amen! Amen! Praise the Lord! Praise Him in the morning! Praise Him in the evening! Praise Him all the time and all situations. Our Lord is our Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. He is our protection. He is our source of life. He is our everything. He loves us and He will never leave us. Praise You Oh Lord! Praise You now and forever.
Hosanna! Hosanna!… CF & NEEDLES!! Lord, we lift up Your Name. Be exalted to the Hilltops, to the Mountain tops, to the highest crest of the ridges of all the mountains on earth and in the sea. You ARE our help that comes from that LOFTY THRONE on HIGH…..Mt. Zion. the sides of the north, the city of the Great God, the City of God on the Hilltop.
I heard a man on the NEWS this morning being interviewed at the Metro Station. He was being asked by the reporter if he had fear of riding the subway, today, due to the events in Moscow this morning. He was filled with joy. Oh NO! he said (paraphrasing). ‘ I asked Jesus to protect me this morning and at night. So I am not worried about any attack’
Wow! He lifted MY spirits as I heard his testimony. Amen, brother. I agree.
We look to the HILLS whence cometh our help. That is the Christ, the risen Savior, the Light and the Life. He is our help.
Brave man! He acted on “where does my help come from?” He had a quick response and assurance where his help was going to come from.
From MG’s above comment, “HE has commissioned His saints here on earth to display and project that light that men might come to its shining through our conduct, obedience to the Word and our deeds.”
Each time I read the word deeds, I am reminded of Matthew, 5:16, “… let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” The thought that my good deeds could be seen by others in such a way that they would praise God is mind boggling. The verse before, vs. 15, reminds us not to hide our light. “No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.”
Oh, good needs, where art thou? I want to hear praises going up to Our Heavenly Father. Whoa! what a thought!
Oh, what about those good deeds, I think I am doing, mostly under cover, and they praise me and I never hear praise to God? Maybe family, friends or stranger?
I am thinking if we do good deeds outside of the time and venue that the Holy Spirit directs; it is or may be directed for self gratification. If we do good deeds in order, ie, place they can be seen by God and others and from the directions of The Holy Spirit, maybe our rewards would be different. The Word of God has given a map for good deeds.
These are thought questions. Maybe, with the help of others and their thoughts I can have my eyes of understanding clarified. I sure would like to see more of my good deeds causing a reaction of praise to God!!!!
There is an example in the Bible of someone(s) doing a good deed openly that resulted in the recipient giving praise to God openly. It is in Acts 3. It says there was a man who couldn’t walk that would lay near the temple gate and ask for money. Peter and John may have passed this man several times as they went to the temple. But on the day that God instructed them to, they gave the man, not money, but something that God wanted him to have…healing. In Jesus Name they told him to rise up and walk and he did. He didn’t stop to thank Peter and John…no …but he openly entered the temple with them -“walking, leaping and praising God.” (vs 8). And his action caused a reaction among those who observed and opened the door of opportunity for Peter to tell them about the One who had done this good deed of healing…Jesus.
I think I understand from this and what Sara is saying above, that when we do deeds in God’s timing and God’s way for God to get glory…He does.
I am reminded of this scripture also: “But I, when I (Jesus) am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself. ” One thing this says to me is that if our motive is to lift Jesus up (not ourselves) openly through our deeds, then He will draw people to Himself. Now that is a worthwhile action and reaction.
Sara,
I believe you hit the “nail on the head” with this above comment: “if we do good deeds outside of the time and venue that the Holy Spirit directs; it is or may be directed for self gratification.” I’d like to share some scripture and footnotes that I researched, to see if this will help, in our understanding. Read with me: (Proverbs 16:2) ” People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives.” Now listen to the footnotes, for this verse: ” People can rationalize anything if they have no standards for judging right and wrong. We can always prove that we are right. Before putting any plan into action, ask yourself these three questions: (1) Is this plan in harmony with God’s truth? (2) Will it work under real-life conditions? (3) Is my attitude pleasing to God?”
Sara, this sounds like we better make sure our deeds are directed by the Holy Spirit and not our flesh, as you said, huh?
Ouch!
That’s right, I say Ouch! too.
Joyce Meyers gives a good example of this. One day when she was at the hair stylist, the Lord told her to share the meaning of the Jesus pin she had on that had been admired. Instead of immediately obeying the prompting of the Holy Spirit, she told the Lord that she would wait until the other lady beside her could hear it, too. Thus she thought she would kill two birds with one stone. But as it turned out, they gave the glory to Joyce even though she had shared. She was so proud of herself until the Lord told her as she left. Well, you got your reward. You got the glory instead of Me. So don’t expect any OTHER reward from Me. You got yours.
Joyce said, there was a reason that the Holy Spirit wanted her to speak at that moment to that person, alone. But Joyce did it her way and that’s all she was going to get from her sharing. Compliments and glory for her.
Think about it. Fleshly thinking will mess us up every time.
Ouch, ouch, ouch! Do it my way, just got to do it my way and my time. Man, what a pain old man, old flesh, old, old, old. Let’s let the new man arise….In Christ we are a new creation. And, that is wonderful. So, why?
Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
One of the keys here is ‘I live by faith in the Son of God’. We can read Psalm 121 above and give mental ascent to it and thank God for it but if we don’t believe it and act on it we will not receive the benefits of it…we are still doing things our way. It will be just words and not Spirit that activates us to living like new creations.
Sara says: “In Christ we are a new creation. And, that is wonderful. So, why?” Sara, are you asking us “why?” …………do we continue to function in the flesh? Just trying to clarify the question.
Needles, one answer to …’with all that spiritual power available to us, why do we continue to function in the flesh?” could possibly be that we love our flesh. We pet it, we spoil it, we want it to be comfortable at ALL times. We don’t want to put it out, put it off, put it down, put it under or put it through anything, ever, because proud flesh reigns in mortal bodies. In order to allow the Spirit of God to control us, I, I, I, WE, WE, We have to receive, by faith, the
power that God has already told us in His Word and make a choice, will to use it, will to let the Spirit guide us. We have to say ‘no’ to proud flesh. It’s as simple a matter as making a choice each and evry time. The matter may be simple but the decision to NOT go with the flesh is difficult because we are battling the world, the flesh and the devil in all things.
Paul explains it quite well in Romans 7, 14…
“We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 1I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”
Thanks for your question, Needles. Why do I have to keep saying, Ouch! When I know and even understand that I am a new creation in Christ. I guess as I ponder on this more I am seeing that I get a little impatient with my learning curve.
Good insight, MG…
Thanks for the scripture in Romans, MG. Read with me the footnotes for verse 15: ” This is more than the cry of one desperate man; it describes the experience of all Christians struggling against sin or trying to please God by keeping rules and laws without the Spirit’s help. We must never underestimate the power of sin and attempt to fight it in our own strength. Satan is a crafty tempter, and we have an amazing ability to make excuses. Instead of trying to overcome sin with our own human willpower, we must take hold of God’s provision for victory over sin; the Holy Spirit who lives within us and gives us power. And when we fall, he lovingly reaches out to help us up.”
So encouraging to know that when I fail, God is right there ready to help me up. Thank you, Jesus!
That is good advice to heed in those footnotes, Needles. And I agree with you on the encouraging help from God.
As you and MG said, there is a battle.
And there is a battle going on in the heavenlies trying to prevent us from getting the victory. Ephesians 6:12 warns us, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
So good to know that our Victor is Jesus.
It is important to don the armor of God by faith…that is ,to put on the vestments of the priesthood that Christ has raised us to….salvation, protection, faith, Word of God, Peace, glory of the Lord and Praise.
In keeping with Psalm 121 above, it is also reassuring to know that Jesus is living and is praying for us. (Heb 7:25 Message)
In John 17, He prayed this:
“I’m not asking that you take them out of the world but that you guard them from the Evil One. They are no more defined by the world than I am defined by the world. Make them holy—consecrated—with the truth;..”(vs 15)
What a wonderful promise that flows through Psalm 121 above. His faithfulness to us who focus on JESUS not self can be seen in Luke 10: 19 NIV it reads 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. In Psalms 23 is another chapter filled with promise with our walk with him. I love verse 5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
(To me this verse says that he prepares a table of peace of mind, he prepares a table of hope before me even if all terrible things are happening around about me.)
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, [a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.