1 00:00:02,670 --> 00:00:14,030 Speaker 1: Life Audio Hello and thank you for listening to your 2 00:00:14,150 --> 00:00:18,210 Speaker 1: daily Bible verse, the podcast that examines one verse each 3 00:00:18,350 --> 00:00:21,450 Speaker 1: day to learn more about God and His will for us. 4 00:00:22,210 --> 00:00:26,510 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Jessica VanRoekel, and after this short word 5 00:00:26,570 --> 00:00:30,930 Speaker 1: from our sponsor, we'll dive into today's Bible verse, Psalm 6 00:00:30,930 --> 00:00:34,030 Speaker 1: 121.2 Today's Bible verse is Psalm 121.2. My help comes 7 00:00:35,409 --> 00:00:57,180 Speaker 1: from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. So the 8 00:00:57,220 --> 00:00:59,940 Speaker 1: other night, one of my family members asked me about 9 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 1: sizing on a shirt they wanted to buy. I offered 10 00:01:03,180 --> 00:01:06,320 Speaker 1: to take their measurements with my seamstress tape measure, but 11 00:01:06,500 --> 00:01:10,330 Speaker 1: I wasn't sure where I had placed it. Yes, I 12 00:01:10,530 --> 00:01:13,289 Speaker 1: am notorious for not putting things away in the same spot, 13 00:01:13,510 --> 00:01:16,690 Speaker 1: and my family knows it. So I went and looked 14 00:01:16,730 --> 00:01:19,750 Speaker 1: in all the usual places, like the sewing kit, the 15 00:01:19,790 --> 00:01:23,830 Speaker 1: bedroom dresser, the yarn bag, the random drunk drawers, and 16 00:01:23,970 --> 00:01:27,220 Speaker 1: other hidey holes that I have around my house. No 17 00:01:27,340 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: cloth measuring tape to be found. It was gone, or 18 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: so I thought, until I looked again. And there it was, 19 00:01:36,810 --> 00:01:39,350 Speaker 1: right next to my yarn bag on the bottom shelf 20 00:01:39,410 --> 00:01:43,430 Speaker 1: of a side table. It was in the open, literally 21 00:01:43,569 --> 00:01:48,070 Speaker 1: the whole time. You know, we can sometimes do that 22 00:01:48,130 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: with trying to solve our problems. We look for answers 23 00:01:52,260 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: in our abilities, our situations, maybe even other people, or honestly, 24 00:01:58,100 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: even our own plans before we look to God for help. 25 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:07,490 Speaker 1: Psalm 121 verse 2 redirects our gaze. Perhaps, instead of 26 00:02:07,530 --> 00:02:12,790 Speaker 1: looking around, we need to look up. Psalm 121 is 27 00:02:12,850 --> 00:02:17,250 Speaker 1: the second in a series of psalms titled Song of Ascents. 28 00:02:17,850 --> 00:02:21,830 Speaker 1: These were sung by travelers on a pilgrimage. The singer 29 00:02:21,889 --> 00:02:24,950 Speaker 1: of this psalm looked to the distant hills of Jerusalem 30 00:02:25,090 --> 00:02:29,450 Speaker 1: as he traveled toward the city. He recognizes that he 31 00:02:29,550 --> 00:02:33,850 Speaker 1: is far from his destination, but he is not far 32 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: from God. He understands that he doesn't have to arrive 33 00:02:38,500 --> 00:02:43,640 Speaker 1: to be under God's protective care. God is part of 34 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 1: the journey. God helps his people by allowing us to 35 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:52,930 Speaker 1: stand firm on his infinite power and goodness. A living, vibrant, 36 00:02:53,050 --> 00:02:56,790 Speaker 1: and practical faith can be available to anyone in the 37 00:02:56,830 --> 00:03:00,010 Speaker 1: middle of a journey. But we often look ahead with 38 00:03:00,030 --> 00:03:02,570 Speaker 1: the mindset that life will be better once we are 39 00:03:02,810 --> 00:03:06,010 Speaker 1: out of this part of our journey. The truth is 40 00:03:06,169 --> 00:03:10,620 Speaker 1: that we can travel through difficult circumstances with a forward-looking 41 00:03:10,700 --> 00:03:15,239 Speaker 1: confidence and purposeful intent to deliberately direct our sight upward 42 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:20,139 Speaker 1: to God. The speaker in today's verse deliberately directs his 43 00:03:20,220 --> 00:03:24,169 Speaker 1: sight upward. upward when he states, I lift my eyes. 44 00:03:24,950 --> 00:03:29,790 Speaker 1: This metaphor depicts actively attending to the concerns and hopes 45 00:03:30,030 --> 00:03:33,250 Speaker 1: at play in the mind and our spirit by guiding 46 00:03:33,310 --> 00:03:38,130 Speaker 1: them toward God with resolute faith. The destination for the 47 00:03:38,170 --> 00:03:41,710 Speaker 1: psalmist was the holy city in the distance, but the 48 00:03:41,830 --> 00:03:45,700 Speaker 1: choice that the psalmist made was to trust God for 49 00:03:45,740 --> 00:03:50,780 Speaker 1: help in the middle of the long journey. Honestly, everyone, 50 00:03:51,310 --> 00:03:56,950 Speaker 1: Even self-sufficient and independent people will need help. God is 51 00:03:57,010 --> 00:04:02,470 Speaker 1: our help. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia defines help as 52 00:04:02,910 --> 00:04:08,470 Speaker 1: bringing aid, support, or deliverance. Friend, the journey grows long, 53 00:04:08,530 --> 00:04:11,990 Speaker 1: doesn't it? We might feel like we need deliverance from 54 00:04:12,050 --> 00:04:16,210 Speaker 1: weariness and doubt, or we might need extra support because 55 00:04:16,250 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: we feel weak. We may need help delivered at just 56 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: the right time, and when we look to God, we 57 00:04:25,020 --> 00:04:29,220 Speaker 1: receive it. The psalmist goes on to write how the 58 00:04:29,260 --> 00:04:33,170 Speaker 1: Lord helps him. True help is sought in Yahweh, in whom, 59 00:04:33,310 --> 00:04:36,790 Speaker 1: in the Old Testament, the one who believes in him 60 00:04:36,870 --> 00:04:40,590 Speaker 1: is consistently encouraged to trust in him and to renounce 61 00:04:40,710 --> 00:04:45,150 Speaker 1: all other confidences. That means that we need to renounce 62 00:04:45,210 --> 00:04:49,310 Speaker 1: our own strategies and plans and abilities. and to trust 63 00:04:49,420 --> 00:04:55,219 Speaker 1: completely in God. The remaining verses in Psalm 121 tell 64 00:04:55,300 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 1: us how God keeps our feet steady, how He watches 65 00:04:59,920 --> 00:05:03,740 Speaker 1: over us because He never sleeps, how He shades and 66 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:07,860 Speaker 1: protects us. The Hebrew word for keep can be depicted 67 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 1: as a watchman keeping watch over a city. And the 68 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:15,460 Speaker 1: psalmist is so taken with the thought of his keeper 69 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:21,150 Speaker 1: that he barely names his dangers. He only references how 70 00:05:21,500 --> 00:05:25,180 Speaker 1: God helps him. The Lord is the one source of 71 00:05:25,260 --> 00:05:28,020 Speaker 1: help in the life of the psalmist that he knows 72 00:05:28,140 --> 00:05:34,050 Speaker 1: he can trust above all others. God, who created everything, 73 00:05:34,690 --> 00:05:37,909 Speaker 1: cares enough for those whom he created to bring exactly 74 00:05:37,970 --> 00:05:43,070 Speaker 1: the right kind of help when needed. Our destination is heaven. 75 00:05:44,330 --> 00:05:46,900 Speaker 1: And he gives us the ability to walk with firm 76 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:52,020 Speaker 1: steps through the twists and the turns of life. So 77 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,599 Speaker 1: let us ask this question. Where does our help come from? 78 00:05:56,120 --> 00:06:00,300 Speaker 1: Where does your help come from? It comes from the 79 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:04,140 Speaker 1: Lord who made heaven and earth. He helps you walk 80 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 1: in grace, courage, and strength. He builds your faith as 81 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:10,790 Speaker 1: you go through life with your eyes fixed on Him. 82 00:06:10,810 --> 00:06:14,330 Speaker 1: And then it's through Him that we have the freedom 83 00:06:14,370 --> 00:06:18,469 Speaker 1: we desperately crave. He helps us live for Him and 84 00:06:18,570 --> 00:06:22,609 Speaker 1: not for ourselves. And He keeps us like a watchman 85 00:06:22,730 --> 00:06:25,610 Speaker 1: guarding a city and He helps us in our times 86 00:06:25,790 --> 00:06:31,250 Speaker 1: of need. Today, instead of looking down and around at 87 00:06:31,310 --> 00:06:34,140 Speaker 1: all the problems and all the things that are going wrong, 88 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:39,979 Speaker 1: look up. Instead of looking inward, wondering what you did 89 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:42,419 Speaker 1: wrong or how you're going to have to solve this 90 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:48,460 Speaker 1: or the proverbial statement, pull yourself up by your bootstrap. Instead, 91 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:53,479 Speaker 1: look out towards God and place your whole heart in 92 00:06:53,500 --> 00:06:57,510 Speaker 1: the safekeeping hands of our Lord and Savior. Let's pray. 93 00:06:59,150 --> 00:07:02,789 Speaker 1: Holy God, I praise you that you are our help. Lord, 94 00:07:02,830 --> 00:07:05,790 Speaker 1: that we can rely on you in times of good 95 00:07:05,930 --> 00:07:09,380 Speaker 1: and in times of bad. Lord, your ability to help 96 00:07:09,450 --> 00:07:13,260 Speaker 1: us doesn't change. Whether things are going along great or 97 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:16,750 Speaker 1: we have come to a hard stop where Life has 98 00:07:16,820 --> 00:07:21,350 Speaker 1: just turned everything upside down and topsy-turvy, but God, you 99 00:07:21,530 --> 00:07:24,850 Speaker 1: are our help. So Lord, when we are looking around, 100 00:07:24,910 --> 00:07:27,470 Speaker 1: wondering where our help is going to come from, remind 101 00:07:27,550 --> 00:07:31,130 Speaker 1: us that our help comes from you. You made heaven 102 00:07:31,290 --> 00:07:34,050 Speaker 1: and earth. You set the stars in place. You tell 103 00:07:34,110 --> 00:07:37,570 Speaker 1: the sun to rise and to set. You provided us 104 00:07:37,710 --> 00:07:41,550 Speaker 1: moonlight to light the dark nights. So God, we're going 105 00:07:41,570 --> 00:07:45,410 Speaker 1: to trust you today with this thing that we're holding 106 00:07:45,550 --> 00:07:48,850 Speaker 1: on to, that we need a lot of help with. God, 107 00:07:48,890 --> 00:07:52,180 Speaker 1: we trust you and we believe in you with all 108 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,560 Speaker 1: of our hearts that you are going to come to 109 00:07:55,780 --> 00:07:59,080 Speaker 1: our aid. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.