Where does our help come from?

Read:

Psalm 121 (NASB): “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; 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 will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in. From this time forth and forever.”

Act:

This Psalm is a beautiful reminder that God is always with us. He is our creator, our ever-present help, the One who watches over us, and our guardian. He is the One who protects us from all evil, and the One who instils peace deep within our hearts.

So, this week, may we:

Trust in our Heavenly Father to keep us, guide us, and bless us with His presence and peace. Psalms 120 through 134 are called the Psalms of ascent. The Hebrew pilgrims would sing these Psalms as they ‘ascended‘ in their journey to Jerusalem to worship the Lord at their annual feasts. They could look up, and literally see the hills and mountains as they sang. Each Psalm emphasises a different characteristic of God: His presence, His guidance, His protection, His deliverance, His greatness, His purpose, His provision, His forgiveness, His assurance, His faithfulness, and His love. Ultimately, it’s not about the highlands or the heartache, the trials and mountains we face. It’s about our trust in our Lord. God is the same whether we experience a spiritual high or low! It doesn’t matter what we walk through – the valley of death or the victory of conquering the biggest mountain. Will our posture be one of worshipping God as we celebrate life flowing from His rivers of love and grace without any striving from our side? We will all face many trials in this life… Yet we are reminded that heaven is where our focus should be! God not only carries us, but He also helps us to grow. It has been said, “Grow through what you go through!” This is doable with God’s help! He teaches us. He forms and moulds us, making us stronger to walk with endurance. He shows us His goodness and faithfulness. So, may we not just endure hardships but allow God to grow us, so that we will be ready to be used for His glory, in whatever situation! Indeed, may we ‘grow through what we go through!’

Understand that whatever we go through, whatever we walk through, there is grace and power to overcome through Jesus! God is our sure foundation. Romans 8:28 says, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Trials cannot stop us from doing what God has given us; we can rest in knowing that He will work all details together for good. That means we’ve been given grace to endure the trials we face. God even tells us, through the Apostle Paul, in 2 Timothy 2:3, “Endure hard times, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”

Sing our songs of ascent through our valleys, looking up and knowing that we are clothed with the armour of God! Remember that God equips us with everything we need to live out this life of salvation. What goes on in our minds can either bring death or a life of peace. Life and peace result from a mind set on God’s Spirit, so may we allow God to fill our hearts and minds. May we choose life and life in abundance. Wherever we are today, may we know that Jesus is for us, even through our times of trial and doubt. Jesus is with us, and He will never leave us. We can trust Him completely to carry us through every moment of every day. So let us rejoice today… As Isaiah 61:10 proclaims: “I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God.“

So, let us praise our Lord on the mountain tops, the valley lows and all of the in-betweens… knowing that He is always watching over us, and His Words are true and everlasting.

Pray:

Father, I thank You that we know that You love us. You orchestrate our life circumstances in a way which is for our good and for Your glory and honour. Help us Lord, to co-operate in this process. Help us not to become discouraged but to endure, and at the end of the trial, to come out as the vessel that You want us to be – so that we might serve You and reflect Your glory. We love You! In Jesus’ name.

Father God, I thank You for Your Holy Scripture. It provides an opportunity firstly, for self-correction; and secondly, to know that You are with us, in us, and accessible to us at any given moment. Thank You God, that we have the privilege of being spiritually minded in everything that we do and say, and in how we show up for others. Please be with us every step of the way. Forgive us for the times when we have not been so connected to You and have acted out of selfishness. Father, thank You so much for Your love that abounds. Be with us, Lord.

Heavenly Father, as I come before You, I want to thank You for Your Words and the encouragement that You give us. Thank You for the garment of Salvation that You have wrapped around us, the garment of righteousness. You have given us other armour too, to face everything that may come against us. Help us dear Lord, to recognise the bigger picture, and to remember that there is something that You want to achieve through us – and we need to trust You. We need to let You hold our hand through difficult times and know that You love us and always will. We thank You, and we bless You in Jesus’ name.

Father, we are so indebted to You for Your Word: for the beauty of Your Word and the encouragement of Your Word. You are calling us to be ready, even today, to stand when the evil day comes. Father, we refuse to submit to the enemy’s lies, the temptations that draw us away from our calling. We pray that the full armour of God will be in place in each of our lives. Father, may we live this out in the highways and the byways. May our lamps have enough oil. May our feet be ready as we pray and as Your Word goes out. We pray this in the almighty name of Jesus.

Abba Father, You are our Shomer Israel! You guard us, and we thank You for that. Thank You for always having Your eyes on us: for guarding us on the left, on the right, in front and behind. You truly are Shomer Israel. Amen.

(This WRAP is with great appreciation towards Roald, Grace, Ina, Ingrid and Coen)

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