Skip to main content

Daily Devotion: Psalm 121:1-2

By

Psalm 121:1-2    "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.  (2)  My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth."

For me, this is the sister Psalm to the 23rd Psalm.  "The Lord is my shepherd."  Where did the shepherd normally situate himself in order to watch over the entire flock of sheep? It seems logical to me that the shepherd would find a hill where he could see all of his sheep and also beyond the flock in order to observe any danger approaching the flock. David spoke of killing the bear and the lion as he pleaded his case to King Saul for going against the giant.  If he had not been able to see the enemy as they approached the flock, he would not have been able to properly defend the lambs.

As he would relocate the flock from pasture to pasture, there is no doubt the location for himself would also be a priority. He had to be able to see the entire flock.  The 23rd Psalm is from the shepherd's perspective of priorities: green pastures, still waters, rod, staff, and all the pertinent things to care for the flock. Today, Psalm 121 speaks from the perspective of the lambs.  I can only imagine there being a sense of protection as the flock grew to know the shepherd. They would know where the shepherd would be at all times; if for no other reason, because the shepherd would make sure they knew where he was. I can only imagine that there would be times the lambs would stop to look for their shepherd.

Where was the logical place to look? If the shepherd was doing his job properly, we can know the lamb would "lift up (his) eyes unto the hills."  It was there that he would feel safe and secure to see the shepherd with rod and staff in hand and eyes wide open watching his flock. He would know there is his help.  Psalm 100 declared that we are the sheep of God's flock. Where do we look as we go through life?  The only safe place to look for our help is to lift up our eyes unto the Lord. Where is He situated?  He is set on high where He watches over His entire flock and pays attention to each of us individually. Isn't that a great source of comfort?  Today, I make the declaration, " "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.  (2)  My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth."

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Daily Devotion: Enter With Thanksgiving - Psalm 100:1-5

By
One of the most beautiful Psalms of Thanksgiving is the 100th Psalm. Please turn to it and read verses one through five. With all my heart I believe we are a people and a nation that has truly been blessed by God. Of all those who “give thanks to Him and praise His name” we should be at the top!  It is not uncommon to compile wish lists at Christmas, and draw up a list of resolutions for the new year. But there is another list we often overlook - a Thanksgiving Day list of all for which we are thankful. What would your list contain? Most likely, a good part would be material possessions. I’m convinced that we would find that we have much more for which to be thankful than just our material possessions.  Like you, I’m sure my list would include the major things - life, health, family, friends, and the nation we live in, despite all its flaws. But even more than that, I’m thankful for my salvation, my Church family, and the mercy that God showers upon us each d...
Read more

Daily Devotion: An Important Question

By
In one of the great Psalms of thanksgiving, the writer asked a most pertinent question. “What shall I render unto the Lord for all of His benefits toward me” (Psalm 116:12) ? We may observe two elements in this question. The psalmist acknowledges having received many benefits, or blessings, at the hand of the Lord. For the believer, to be the receiver of blessings from the Lord is a fact beyond question. That is one facet of a proper perception of reality. However, for the unbeliever, or even for the nominal believer, such things come in the course of nature, or as a matter of deserving them. But to fail to see that such benefits and blessings come from the Lord is to lose touch with reality. The other element of the question is that the writer expresses a sense of obligation to the Lord and reveals a desire to do something in response to the amazing goodness of God to him. It is the reflex of the godly heart to desire to do something in response to the perceived go...
Read more