Lift Mine Eyes to the Hills

 

Psalm 121:1-3

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
² My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.³ He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.

Mount Pisgah Overlook

The Blue Ridge Mountains, lush with vegetation, blue green in color, and on rainy days, clouds cling to and hang on, looking like smoke escaping from the trees. This is where I call home; I moved here 24 years ago and am still moved by the beauty of God’s creation.  Just fifteen minutes from my home is one of the tallest mountains east of the Mississippi, and on hot summer days, My husband and I used to drive up and enjoy the sunset. I haven’t been up there since we lost Dave, but I often look up that road, and think about where my help comes from. 

 Long ago, when the Israelites made their journey to Jerusalem for one of the holy days, they would often look up to the mountains and know they were getting close to the city on the hill, the beautiful Jerusalem, and they were reminded of God, the helper of their people.

 

A mountain top is where God spoke to Moses and gave him the Ten Commandments.  Mountains are also a place of safety, and it is no wonder that the psalmist wrote this psalm, thinking about where his help came from when looking into the hills. 

 

Night sky off the Blue Ridge Parkway

 Our help also comes from the same God who created the mountains, and the heavens.  Can you look up into the night sky and not wonder about our amazingly awesome God?  Billions, upon billions of stars in the heavens, stretched out beyond for even the most sophisticated telescope to see. 

This same God that created the heavens, and the mountains, the wilderness, and the oceans, yes this same God cares for us intimately. 

 

The star breather, also breathed life into our lungs, and it says in verse three that he will not allow our foot to be moved, or in other versions, it says he will not allow our foot to slip.  I take this to mean that any trial I go through has to go past Him first. 

 

Also in verse three it says He does not slumber, meaning He is always on duty.

 

My help comes from the God who breathed stars into existence, who made the mountains and all their wild beauty, the oceans and all of the amazing creatures in them, and He made me.  He is a good God, who is always on duty, who will never allow a hardship or trail to come my way if it will not be for my benefit in the end, so I know I can trust Him.

 

So my prayer this morning as I write this is this…

 

Father God, help to look to you the creator for help, and not creation.  God take my awe and wonder as I look into the sky and see all of the billions of stars, and as I look to the beauty of the earth you made and see that you are still intimately involved in my life.  Help me to not see all of the hugeness of your creation and be afraid to call you daddy.  Help me to see that I can ask you for anything and know you have my best interest in mind for me.