Psalm 121:1-8 (NKJV) I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.
On a recent visit to Israel, I had the opportunity of sitting at the spot where this Psalm was written—a low spot in Jerusalem surrounded by towering hills. It was a reflective moment! While there is no record of what the Psalmist was going through, we can sense that he was probably anxious and in distress. In the natural, the hills are the vantage points while the valley is the most vulnerable position.
All of us have either experienced or are going through times when we are weak and desperate for help. In our valleys of life, sometimes it is difficult to see where our help will come from and who can help us. This Psalm is a progression from a low point in life to being encouraged and refocused with hope, love, and faith in a faithful God. The good news is that compared to the Psalmist, we are now living in New Testament times; we are in a better covenant established on better promises, and we have a restored relationship and a right standing with God.
I am always in awe when I look at the mountain range and the vast ocean. In fact, creation, especially the hills mentioned in this passage, is one of the many ways that God reveals His existence to us, which is why one of my favourite things to do is taking a walk amongst nature and talking to God at the same time. Similarly, it is always calming to take a walk in the woods, the mountains or on the beach whenever we are feeling stressed. Looking at creation helps us to meditate on God’s greatness and His majesty, and to remember that whatever we are facing in life is dwarfed in comparison to the awesome God whom we worship!
Therefore, when you are in the valley, don’t let self-pity, pride or resentment against God prevent you from lifting up your eyes to God.
Sermon Series: We Have an Unwavering Help and Support from the Lord
举目仰望
诗篇121:1-8 我要向山举目；我的帮助从何而来？我的帮助从造天地的耶和华而来。他必不叫你的脚摇动；保护你的必不打盹！保护以色列的，也不打盹也不睡觉。保护你的是耶和华；耶和华在你右边荫庇你。白日，太阳必不伤你；夜间，月亮必不害你。耶和华要保护你，免受一切的灾害；他要保护你的性命。你出你入，耶和华要保护你，从今时直到永远。
在最近一次访问以色列，我有机会坐在这诗篇写就时的地点——耶路撒冷的一个低洼地带，四周环绕着高耸的群山。这真是一个反思的时刻！虽然缺乏关乎诗人当时的经历的记载，但我们可以感觉到他可能是焦虑和痛苦的。在自然环境中，山丘是有利的位置，而山谷是最脆弱的位置。
我们所有人都曾经历或正在经历软弱和迫切需要帮助的时期。在人生的低谷中，有时很难看到我们的帮助来自哪里，也看不到究竟谁能帮助我们。这诗篇是从生命的低谷开始，渐进到受激励，直到怀着希望、爱和信心重新聚焦于信实的上帝。好消息是，与诗人相比，我们现在活在新约时代，活在一个建立在更好的应许之上的更好的盟约之中，我们与上帝重归于好并且站在了神的一边。
当我看到高耸的群山和浩瀚的海洋，我总是充满敬畏。事实上，被造之物，特别是这段经文中提到的山丘，是上帝向我们展示祂存在的众多方式之一，这就是为什么我最喜欢做的事情之一就是在大自然中漫步，同时与上帝谈心。同样，每当我们感到压力时，在树林，山里或海滩上散步总是能让我们平静。观察被造物有助于我们思考上帝的伟大和威严，并且帮助我们记住无论我们生命中正面临何种问题，比起我们所敬拜的那位令人敬畏的上帝，堪称微不足道。
因此，当你身陷低谷，不要让自怜、骄傲或对上帝的怨恨拦阻你举目仰望上帝。
讲章系列：我们有来自上帝那坚定不移的帮助和支持