Where Does Your Help Come From? 

Nobody can go through life without receiving help of one kind or another. Asking for help is not always a sign of weakness or an admission of ignorance. Although in my case when asking for direction, it is often precisely because of ignorance. Before the invention of SatNavs, when travelling to places I'd never been before, I'd often get lost. My map reading is poor and I'll often have to stop to ask for directions. I have to confess that even with the latest Google maps app on my phone, I am not always confident with the north/south bar as it swivels around sometimes, and I end up moving a few metres forward before realising I need to be heading in the opposite direction. I don't have any problems asking for directions.

But there are times in life when the problem is not as simple as asking for directions. If you struggle with a bad habit or sin in your life, it's not always easy to ask someone for help. You may be struggling in your marriage or dealing with the hurt and pain of a broken relationship. It may even be an internal feeling of low self esteem that you struggle to admit. Life is full of problems everywhere and we often wonder where help is going to come from?

The Psalmist provides incredible help for sojourners like you and me. In the 121st Psalm, we read these words in the first verse, "I lift up my eyes to the mountains - where does my help come from?". At first glance, one might be tempted to think that the Psalmist is expecting help to come from the mountains. Perhaps the mountains could serve as protection from whatever is pursuing. More often we think the Psalmist is looking at the mountains as a way of connecting with the God who made it. But as Sinclair Ferguson said, the mountains in the mind of the Psalmist are not the solution, but the problem. The Psalmist looks at the mountains of trouble he is in and wonders aloud "how on earth can I get help?  The mountains are too imposing, they look immovable and there is no way through, over or around them. I feel stuck!"  This is the sense conveyed as this Psalm opens. 

And it's not long before the Psalmist turns to God for help. "My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." Notice that the Psalmist chose LORD not God. This speaks of his authority and power over everything, including the gigantic, imposing mountains, which represents the trouble, or challenge that the Psalmist is facing. He recognises that God has power over every mountain of impossible problems and difficulties. He knows that the Maker of heaven and earth is able to do what he considers impossible.

There is no better time than now for us to draw inspiration from this psalm. The psalmist is inviting us not to ignore our mountain of problems, but to acknowledge they are there, but as quickly as we acknowledge the problem, we should then turn our focus away from the mountains and look to God. He knows that looking at the problem won't solve it, pounding and worrying about the mountains won't move them. The only thing that moves impossible mountains is God. "My help comes from the LORD."

He then continues with statements of assurance and confidence in the ever abiding presence of God. "He will not let your foot slip." Can you see what the psalmist is doing here? He has turned his attention away from himself, towards you, towards me, towards his readers. He changes from first person singular, to second person singular pronoun - "He will not let YOUR foot slip". It's almost as if verses one and two recount a previous personal experience he had - "I look up", "my help comes from God". And now from verse three, he turns his attention to his readers and from a place of knowledge and experience, he assures us of God's tender loving care. He's saying, "trust me, I've been in that place before. I have faced impossible mountains before, so I can say to you God will help you. He will not let your foot slip." 

If my hunch is correct that David wrote this psalm, then time will fail me to enumerate the many imposing mountains he faced in his lifetime. Think of Goliath, Saul’s pursuit for many years, the civil war raged by his son Absalom. There were countless times that David felt hemmed in by problems that represent imposing mountains that seem unmovable. But he always called on God, and not once did God fail him. If anyone is qualified to encourage us in these hard times, it is David.

He goes on to say that God will watch over you, and don't worry he won't miss a second because he does not sleep nor slumber. No moment of your life, good or bad that has occurred or will occur goes without His notice. The LORD is watching over you. He is watching over your life, your finances, your health. He will keep you from all harm. His watch is never over.  It lasts forever. Do you need help? You now know what to do! Your help comes from God, and no other.