Look Up

I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth! Psalm 121:1-2

Edward Herbeck • 73" x 30" Acrylic on Canvas • And Then We Looked... • herbeckart.com

Look Up

Psalm 121

1 I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there?

2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth!

3 He will not let you stumble; the One who watches over you will not slumber.

4 Indeed, He who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.

5 The LORD Himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade.

6 The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night.

7 The LORD keeps you from all harm and watches over your life.

8 The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.

As believers, our confidence and security come from the LORD. We can look up to the One who made the moutains and confidently say like the psalmist, “My help comes from the LORD, who made Heaven and Earth!” (Psalm 121:1-2) As the LORD helps us do His will and follow His righteous path, He won't let our foot slip. He is always on watch over His own, never closing His eyes or dozing off. He shields us at all times, standing next to us as our Protector, and caring for us day and night. The LORD keeps watch over our lives wherever we go, protecting us from all physical and spiritual harm, both now and forever (Psalm 121:1-8). How wonderful it is to know you're safe and secure in the LORD, especially when it comes to your soul. Now that's true peace.

All throughout the Bible are commands to "fear not" along with promises that the LORD will help us, shield us, uphold us, and strengthen us (Psalm 115:11, Isaiah 41:10, Phil 4:30). Like Paul says to his fellow believers,"If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31). For those who fear the LORD, we should never fear! He's on our side! In the Old Testament, we know that our help comes from the LORD because He is our Shepherd who leads us beside still waters and protects us through dark valleys (Psalm 23). In the New Testament, we know that our help comes from the LORD because Jesus is The Good Shepherd. He loves us so much that He gives His life for His sheep (John 10:11-15).

Jesus is So Helpful!

• First, Jesus is so helpful to the point of dying on a cross for us! He helps us by paying for all of our sins (past, present, future) so we don't have to. And then He resurrects Himself from the dead so that whoever believes in Him may live forever. To say that's "so helpful" is quite the understatement.

• Jesus is so helpful that when we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. In life, the one whose sins have been forgiven is the one who's truly happy (1 John 1:9; Psalm 32:1).

• Jesus is so helpful that He regenerates us and grants us the second birth (John 3:3-7); gives us new hearts that desire to follow Him (Ezek 36:26); gifts us with the Holy Spirit to be our #1 Helper (John 14:16-17); makes us new creations in Christ, setting us free from our sins, and transforming us from the inside out (1 Corinth 5:17, Rom 6:18, Col 3). 

• Jesus is so helpful that He gives us eternal life as a free gift through Him (Rom 6:23).

• Jesus is so helpful that He promises us eternal life and gives us assurance of our salvation (1 John 2:25, 5:11-13) so that we may be filled with hope, joy, peace, and confidence on our difficult journey to our eternal home (Rom 15:13).

• Jesus is so helpful that He provides for us everything we need in our earthly lives (Mat 6:33) and everything we need for living a godly life (2 Peter 1:3).

• Jesus is so helpful that He is our loyal friend (John 15:13–14) who cares and takes our worries from us (1 Peter 5:7), who grants us His peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil 4:6–7). 

• Jesus is so helpful that He loves us completely and perfectly (1 John 4:18), and He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb 13:5). Nothing can separate us from His love. (Rom 8:31–38).

• Jesus is so helpful that no matter what suffering we face in this life, Jesus will cause everything to work together for our good (Romans 8:28), making us more like Him, which is the main goal of the Christian life.

• Jesus is so helpful that He gives us all the grace we need to invest in our eternity wisely. He helps us to be well-prepared for our Homecoming in Heaven as "a freshman again." (Mat 6:19-21, 2 Corinth 4:16-18)

He's Got You!

Therefore, Christian, there is nothing to fear because your help comes from the LORD. So look up to the One who made those mountains and all of Heaven and Earth. Jesus will help you. Look up when you're worried. Look up when enemies surround you. Look up when life just gets heavy. Jesus cares and hears. He is not only above you but He is in you. He will protect you. Trust that He will take care of both the big things and the little things too. There's nothing too insignificant for Jesus so tell Him everything that worries or bothers you. He cares about every detail of your life. Take everything to the LORD in prayer, thank Him and praise Him, talk to Him, unload your cares on Him, and then rest in Him. He’s got you! Without Jesus, we carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. But with Jesus, He moves those mountains for us! Can I get an amen? Yep! Amen!

For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you: "Do not fear, I will help you." Isaiah 41:13

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. John 14:27