OUR HELP COMES FROM THE LORD

Psalm 121 is a song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. As the Jews walked up the trail to the temple in Jerusalem, they sang this psalm. Psalm 121:1-4 says, "I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps." During this time, God's presence dwelt among His people, Israel, in the temple in Jerusalem. The God who created the universe and everything in it chose to live among His people. As the Jews went through ardous walked towards the temple, they were looking forward to being in God's presence. They realized that the God whom they longed to be with was the God who helped them in times of their need. They worship the God who never gets tired or sleeps. He is always present, watching over them faithfully. 

Psalm 121 is one of the verses in Scripture that shows that our God never gets tired or sleeps. He is always watching over us, taking care of us. However, it does not mean that we will never suffer or go through pain. It means that no matter what happens in our lives, God is always with us, providing us with the strength and everything that we need. Bishop Samuel Heaslett (1875-1947) was a missionary in Japan when the Japanese Imperial forces bombed Pearl Harbor. He was falsely accused of being a spy for the British government. He was confined in a 9-by-51/2 foot concrete prison cell, which he shared with four Japanese prisoners. He was brutally mistreated, but one could ask, where was God in His situation? Did God abandon him since he was put into prison? Or was God sleeping, or did He not care about Samuel? The answer to these questions is simple. God did not abandon Samuel, nor did He sleep or not care. With His sovereign plan, He allowed Samuel to go through this suffering, but He never abandoned Samuel. God gave Samuel the strength to persevere and worked in His heart. It was through this experience that Samuel's faith was strengthened. After the war was over, Samuel went back to Japan to help rebuild the country and continued His ministry to the Japanese people. 

God always takes care of us even when He allows suffering in our lives. He gives us the strength and everything that we need. Let us not be discouraged when we go through difficult times. Our God never gets tired of helping us. Let us look up to God and trust Him. 

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) Does God get tired of helping me? What does God do when I look up to Him in times of my difficult time? What should I do in my suffering?

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, I look up to you as my God and help in times of my need. Thank you that you never get tired of helping me. I praise you for always being with me, watching over me. Please help me to trust you in whatever situation I am in today. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.