100 North Hillcrest Ave
Inglewood, California 90301
Telephone numbers: (310) 677-5133 (323) 678-0268
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330-8342 Electronic mail: presbyts@aol.com
Sunday, February 20,
2005
Rev. Dr. Harold E Kidd
LET GOD HELP
YOU
"I will lift up my eyes unto
the hills, from whence cometh my help"
Psalm 121: 1 (KJV)
Psalm
121, like Psalm 23, is one of the most popular of Psalms and belongs to a
larger collection of Psalms 120 - 134 called the Songs of Ascents. It was a
Psalm believed to have been sung by pilgrims as they journeyed to Jerusalem.
The visits of Jews to Jerusalem was a common historical event. Every year great
caravans came from far and near to Jerusalem, perhaps in observance of
Passover, or the Feast of Weeks, or the Feast of Tabernacles.
What
we know of Jerusalem is that it was a city set upon three primary hills. Amen.
It was the city referenced to by Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount in saying to
his disciples, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill
cannot be hidden." (Mt.5:14) A traveler from any direction could not see
the city until he had crossed the hills, amen, round about Jerusalem which are
referenced to in Psalm 125:2, "As the hills - mountains are round about
Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth and forever
more."
According
to historical record, it was expected that at least once in an adult male’s
lifetime, he would make the journey to the Holy City of God, Jerusalem. It was
a journey often crowded with delight as well as danger, for the pilgrims were
frequently exposed to robbers. There were deserts to be crossed, and many would
suffer from sunstroke. As they traveled across these desolate wastelands in
route to Jerusalem, some might become sick and need to be cared for; the aged
as well had to be supported through this strenuous journey.
But
when the pilgrim could see the hills of Jerusalem standing far off in the
distance, it made them forget all about their trials, it quickened their pace,
and it renewed their strength. So in the Psalmist’s declaring "I will lift
up mine eyes unto the hills", he is not suggesting his help comes from the
hills, but the hills suggest the presence and power of God. His help comes from
the Lord of creation who made the hills. To see the hills of Jerusalem then was
to know that the Lord is thy keeper. It is a figure of speech. As his eyes,
eyes behold the hills round about Jerusalem, their spirit is able to connect
with the protecting presence of God.
Have
you ever been on a trip and the travel had you worn out until you saw the
monitor come on saying fasten your seatbelts or the captain’s voice come over
the intercom saying we'll be landing in 20 minutes. You've been on the highway
for what seem like hours, but just when you think you can't hold it any longer,
you see that sign saying rest stop 3 miles ahead, gas, restaurant -- take exit
15. And for some reason, seems like you get some renewed energy. Well, when the
pilgrim saw those hills of Jerusalem, they renewed his strength.
It
was in such a caravan, that Jesus may have traveled at the age of twelve with
Joseph and Mary. Millions of families through the years made the annual
pilgrimage to Jerusalem, the Holy City of God. Much like the Muslims seek to
journey to Mecca at least once in their lifetime.
Like
this Psalmist, we are pilgrims on a journey of faith. Life is a step by step
journey, amen. We know where we have been, but we do not know what lies ahead.
But like the Jewish pilgrims in this psalm we as well are seeking a city whose
builder and maker is God. And the journey of life, as a pilgrimage of faith, is
filled with hopes and hazards. But like the Psalmist, we can trust in God's
keeping -- His ever-watchful eye -- for he does not slumber nor does he sleep.
"I
will look unto the hills from whence cometh my help." The Psalm in content
is a psalm which speaks to the God who keeps. The New Interpreter's Bible,
Volume 4, points out that this psalm names God six times as one who
"keeps" (shamar).
"He
that keepeth thee will not slumber. The Lord is thy keeper. The Lord shall keep
thee from all evil. The Lord shall keep thy soul. The Lord shall keep thy going
out and thy coming in." To say that God keeps means that God provides. God
protects. God guides, and shelters us with his love. Kept -- meaning when
things are coming apart concerning you, God is able to hold it together and
hold you together. Shamar, keep, meaning God will preserve you.
Listen
to other biblical descriptions of God as the one who keeps. He is our Divine
Keeper. He keeps the Saints (Genesis. 28:15), and He is our Sleepless Watchman (Is. 40:31). "He that keeps Israel neither
slumbers nor does he sleep." As one person put it, "Since God is
going to stay up all night, I figure I might as well get me some sleep and let
him handle the worry department." Meaning God is at work day and night,
interceding, arranging blessings, working out the difficult situations,
touching hearts we cannot get through to, influencing our thoughts, preparing
the words he wants us to speak for the next day. Amen.
When
we prepare for sleep at night, take whatever it is to the Lord and leave it
there. Isn't it strange how a good night’s sleep and taking our burdens to the
Lord will help us to wake up renewed and ready for the new day. What seemed
like a problem without answers when we went to bed, if we take them to the Lord
and leave them there, one day we wake up with God having spoken the solution
into our minds.
1
Peter 1:5 says, "We are kept – protected -- by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed
in the last time." The journey of our lives is going to be filled with
some beautiful moments and experiences. Solomon says that in this life there
will be seasons to build, to grow, to laugh, to rejoice, a time to dance, to
love, and to enjoy peace. Amen. But because life is what it is … all of life is
not a primrose garden. As well, there will be times of sickness & sadness,
times when we are moved to shed tears, times when our world undergoes the
tribulations of war and violence. So this pilgrimage in life is going to be a
mixture of blessing and burden.
In
our journey through this world we are going to face all kinds of dangers and
challenges. And what Peter is saying in 1 Peter 1:5 is that throughout our
journey through this life we are protected by God. The word which Peter uses
for protect actually is a military word. It means that our life is garrisoned
by God. Like the hills round about Jerusalem, God has us sheltered in. His has
encircled us behind his protection. God stands like a sentinel on watch over
all the days of our lives.
Even
when we cannot see him, he sees us. Even when we cannot discern his presence,
he knows just where we are. Even when we cannot see our way clear, he knows the
path that we take and will direct our paths. Even when we are ready to give up,
he has a way of encouraging us to go on, because he knows that his grace is
sufficient for us. Even when we deny him, the Bible declares that yet, "He
remains faithful to us, for He cannot deny himself."
The
word kept also suggests to us that it is not that God saves us from ever
experiencing troubles, sorrows, and problems in this life, but He enables us to
withstand them, to overcome them, to be more than conquerors by faith in his
Son Jesus through them.
The
Rev. Lloyd John Ogilvie, former pastor of Hollywood Presbyterian Church and
chaplain to the U.S. Senate, in his application of Psalm 121 to the days of our
lives tells the story of a church member who came to him one day with what she
perceived was an overwhelming problem.
"She was done in, tired
out, and uptight in meeting her family's needs. Why not let God help you? I
asked. That's a strange way of putting it, she responded. Do you mean I have a
choice? Yes! I asserted with urgency. You have a decision to make: Are you
going to manage this problem on your own or cry out to God for help? The woman
was shocked. You're suggesting that I may be blocking God's efforts to help me.
I've tried everything and everybody else. How do I let God help me?"
And
strange as this may sound, many of us struggle with the question of how do we
allow God to help us.
Ogilvie
goes on to say of this encounter, "I
tried to share what I've learned over the years of how to surrender my needs to
the Lord more quickly and how to allow Him to help me. I told her honestly
about my strong will and my determined desire to be self-sufficient."
Many
of us like to be in charge and in control of our situation. To let God help you
means that we must let God be in charge, let God have full control of the
people and the problems. Amen. We must be willing to yield our will and the
circumstances to God. Let go and let God.
Finally,
Ogilvie recalls of this meeting for our edification, "When I let go of my own tenacious control of problematic people
and situations, I lower the barrier." God is then able to step in and
do His work. Amen. "He's never
failed to give me supernatural power in response to a prayer of complete
surrender. He helps me to see deeply into the problem with wisdom; he gives me
discernment to know what to do; He provides faith, courage, and endurance to
follow through. I am amazed at how He steps in to change people and the
circumstances that brought me at last to look to Him for help."
When
the Psalmist declared, "I will look unto the hills from whence cometh my
help", it was his way of saying when we need help, look up. When you need
some guidance, look up. Don't look to the problems or the people who might be
giving you the problems but look to the one who is your keeper, look to the one
who protects, look to the one who provides. Too many folk in this world are
looking down. Looking down in depression. Looking down from their troubles in
this world.
Looking
down because of too much negative news being fed to us through the media. Well,
we know that our world isn't perfect; who said that it ever would be? But tell
me somebody, why is it that the majority of news we receive through the media
is negative? I'm certain there are many good news items to be reported that
never receives any press. Is it because bad news sells? We've got to look up.
When
the Psalmist declared, "I will look unto the hills from whence cometh my
help", this was also meant as a figure of speech. Amen. Many of us look
inward to ourselves for answers to our problems and are disappointed. We don't
have the insight or resourcefulness to solve all of life's problems by
ourselves, so we can become worried, anxious, fretful, nervous and depressed.
We try to muddle through our problems, trying to desperately find solutions,
but nothing changes. Just taking an inward look will never solve our problems.
We've got to look up. And in looking up, let go and let God. Amen. Look up,
then let go and let God.
We've
got to look beyond ourselves. Let God handle it. We've got to look beyond our
own understanding. Let God handle it. We've got to look beyond our own
intelligence. Let God handle it. Look beyond our own self-sufficiency, and let
God Handle it.
Look
Up, and then let go and let God.