1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,780 Speaker 1: Hi friends, this is Kelly from Life Audio. Nicole is 2 00:00:03,820 --> 00:00:05,940 Speaker 1: taking a break from how to study the Bible and 3 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:08,740 Speaker 1: we're so grateful for every study she shared with you here. 4 00:00:09,460 --> 00:00:11,780 Speaker 1: We're keeping the speed going through the holidays with some 5 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:14,820 Speaker 1: of her best episodes, plus a few we think you'll love, 6 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:18,110 Speaker 1: like Your Daily Bible Verse. Your Daily Bible Verse is 7 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:21,970 Speaker 1: dedicated to helping you interpret, apply, and pray through scripture 8 00:00:22,250 --> 00:00:24,790 Speaker 1: every day. If you like what you hear, check out 9 00:00:24,829 --> 00:00:27,170 Speaker 1: today's show notes for a link to Your Daily Bible Verse. 10 00:00:27,630 --> 00:00:28,390 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening. 11 00:00:31,270 --> 00:00:32,710 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 12 00:00:39,950 --> 00:00:43,710 Speaker 2: Hello and thank you for listening to your daily Bible verse, 13 00:00:44,310 --> 00:00:47,940 Speaker 2: the podcast that examines one verse each day to learn 14 00:00:47,979 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 2: more about God and His will for us. I'm your host, 15 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:56,140 Speaker 2: Jessica VanRoekel, and after this short word from our sponsor, 16 00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:00,540 Speaker 2: we'll dive into today's Bible verse, Psalm 121.2 Today's Bible 17 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 2: verse is Psalm 121.2. My help comes from the Lord, 18 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:26,660 Speaker 2: who made heaven and earth, So the other night, one 19 00:01:26,700 --> 00:01:29,460 Speaker 2: of my family members asked me about sizing on a 20 00:01:29,540 --> 00:01:32,250 Speaker 2: shirt they wanted to buy. I offered to take their 21 00:01:32,270 --> 00:01:36,089 Speaker 2: measurements with my seamstress tape measure, but I wasn't sure 22 00:01:36,209 --> 00:01:40,110 Speaker 2: where I had placed it. Yes, I am notorious for 23 00:01:40,150 --> 00:01:42,550 Speaker 2: not putting things away in the same spot, and my 24 00:01:42,650 --> 00:01:45,570 Speaker 2: family knows it. So I went and looked in all 25 00:01:45,610 --> 00:01:49,300 Speaker 2: the usual places, like the sewing kit, the bedroom dresser, 26 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:53,140 Speaker 2: the yarn bag, the random drunk drawers, and other hidey 27 00:01:53,180 --> 00:01:56,860 Speaker 2: holes that I have around my house. No cloth measuring 28 00:01:56,940 --> 00:02:01,190 Speaker 2: tape to be found. It was gone or so I 29 00:02:01,250 --> 00:02:05,630 Speaker 2: thought until I looked again and there it was right 30 00:02:05,690 --> 00:02:08,070 Speaker 2: next to my yarn bag on the bottom shelf of 31 00:02:08,130 --> 00:02:12,310 Speaker 2: a side table. It was in the open literally the 32 00:02:12,450 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 2: whole time. You know we can sometimes do that with 33 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:20,940 Speaker 2: trying to solve our problems. We look for answers in 34 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 2: our abilities, our situations, maybe even other people, or honestly, 35 00:02:26,690 --> 00:02:29,810 Speaker 2: even our own plans before we look to God for help. 36 00:02:30,650 --> 00:02:36,090 Speaker 2: Psalm 121 verse 2 redirects our gaze. Perhaps instead of 37 00:02:36,130 --> 00:02:41,370 Speaker 2: looking around, we need to look up. Psalm 121 is 38 00:02:41,450 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 2: the second in a series of psalms titled Song of Ascents. 39 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 2: These were sung by travelers on a pilgrimage. The singer 40 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:53,559 Speaker 2: of this psalm looked to the distant hills of Jerusalem 41 00:02:53,700 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 2: as he traveled toward the city. He recognizes that he 42 00:02:58,139 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 2: is far from his destination, but he is not far 43 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 2: from God. He understands that he doesn't have to arrive 44 00:03:07,100 --> 00:03:12,220 Speaker 2: to be under God's protective care. God is part of 45 00:03:12,260 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 2: the journey. God helps his people by allowing us to 46 00:03:16,460 --> 00:03:21,510 Speaker 2: stand firm on his infinite power and goodness. A living, vibrant, 47 00:03:21,650 --> 00:03:25,380 Speaker 2: and practical faith can be available to anyone in the 48 00:03:25,410 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 2: middle of a journey. But we often look ahead with 49 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 2: the mindset that life will be better once we are 50 00:03:31,419 --> 00:03:34,619 Speaker 2: out of this part of our journey. The truth is 51 00:03:34,780 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 2: that we can travel through difficult circumstances with a forward-looking 52 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 2: confidence and purposeful intent to deliberately direct our sight upward 53 00:03:44,470 --> 00:03:48,750 Speaker 2: to God. The speaker in today's verse deliberately directs his 54 00:03:48,810 --> 00:03:52,770 Speaker 2: sight upward. upward when he states, I lift my eyes. 55 00:03:53,530 --> 00:03:58,390 Speaker 2: This metaphor depicts actively attending to the concerns and hopes 56 00:03:58,610 --> 00:04:01,830 Speaker 2: at play in the mind and our spirit by guiding 57 00:04:01,910 --> 00:04:06,740 Speaker 2: them toward God with resolute faith. The destination for the 58 00:04:06,780 --> 00:04:10,300 Speaker 2: psalmist was the holy city in the distance, but the 59 00:04:10,420 --> 00:04:14,279 Speaker 2: choice that the psalmist made was to trust God for 60 00:04:14,340 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 2: help in the middle of the long journey. Honestly, everyone, 61 00:04:19,910 --> 00:04:25,529 Speaker 2: Even self-sufficient and independent people will need help. God is 62 00:04:25,610 --> 00:04:31,070 Speaker 2: our help. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia defines help as 63 00:04:31,510 --> 00:04:37,070 Speaker 2: bringing aid, support, or deliverance. Friend, the journey grows long, 64 00:04:37,130 --> 00:04:40,580 Speaker 2: doesn't it? We might feel like we need deliverance from 65 00:04:40,660 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 2: weariness and doubt, or we might need extra support because 66 00:04:44,839 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 2: we feel weak. We may need help delivered at just 67 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 2: the right time. And when we look to God, we 68 00:04:53,610 --> 00:04:57,830 Speaker 2: receive it. The psalmist goes on to write how the 69 00:04:57,870 --> 00:05:01,430 Speaker 2: Lord helps him. True help is sought in Yahweh, in 70 00:05:01,510 --> 00:05:05,230 Speaker 2: whom in the Old Testament, the one who believes in 71 00:05:05,270 --> 00:05:08,710 Speaker 2: him is consistently encouraged to trust in him and to 72 00:05:08,770 --> 00:05:13,300 Speaker 2: renounce all other confidences. That means that we need to 73 00:05:13,339 --> 00:05:17,419 Speaker 2: renounce our own strategies and plans and abilities and and 74 00:05:17,460 --> 00:05:23,460 Speaker 2: to trust completely in God. The remaining verses in Psalm 75 00:05:23,460 --> 00:05:27,140 Speaker 2: 121 tell us how God keeps our feet steady, how 76 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:31,360 Speaker 2: he watches over us because he never sleeps, how he 77 00:05:31,500 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 2: shades and protects us. The Hebrew word for keep can 78 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:39,260 Speaker 2: be depicted as a watchman keeping watch over a city. 79 00:05:40,260 --> 00:05:43,219 Speaker 2: And the psalmist is so taken with the thought of 80 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:48,740 Speaker 2: his keeper that he barely names his dangers. He only 81 00:05:48,820 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 2: references how God helps him. The Lord is the one 82 00:05:53,339 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 2: source of help in the life of the psalmist that 83 00:05:55,820 --> 00:06:01,210 Speaker 2: he knows he can trust above all others. God, who 84 00:06:01,270 --> 00:06:05,450 Speaker 2: created everything, cares enough for those whom he created to 85 00:06:05,490 --> 00:06:09,450 Speaker 2: bring exactly the right kind of help when needed. Our 86 00:06:09,510 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 2: destination is heaven. And he gives us the ability to 87 00:06:14,620 --> 00:06:18,479 Speaker 2: walk with firm steps through the twists and the turns 88 00:06:18,540 --> 00:06:23,240 Speaker 2: of life. So let us ask this question. Where does 89 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:26,680 Speaker 2: our help come from? Where does your help come from? 90 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:30,850 Speaker 2: It comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. 91 00:06:31,670 --> 00:06:35,610 Speaker 2: He helps you walk in grace, courage, and strength. He 92 00:06:35,670 --> 00:06:37,930 Speaker 2: builds your faith as you go through life with your 93 00:06:38,150 --> 00:06:41,870 Speaker 2: eyes fixed on him. And then it's through him that 94 00:06:41,930 --> 00:06:45,830 Speaker 2: we have the freedom we desperately crave. He helps us 95 00:06:45,970 --> 00:06:50,070 Speaker 2: live for him and not for ourselves. And he keeps 96 00:06:50,170 --> 00:06:53,100 Speaker 2: us like a watchman guarding a city and he helps 97 00:06:53,210 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 2: us in our times of need. Today, instead of looking 98 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 2: down and around at all the problems and all the 99 00:07:01,260 --> 00:07:06,900 Speaker 2: things that are going wrong, look up. Instead of looking inward, 100 00:07:07,610 --> 00:07:09,950 Speaker 2: wondering what you did wrong or how you're going to 101 00:07:10,010 --> 00:07:14,010 Speaker 2: have to solve this or the proverbial statement, pull yourself 102 00:07:14,090 --> 00:07:20,690 Speaker 2: up by your bootstrap. Instead, look out towards God and 103 00:07:20,730 --> 00:07:23,730 Speaker 2: place your whole heart in the safekeeping hands of our 104 00:07:23,790 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 2: Lord and Savior. Let's pray. Holy God, I praise you 105 00:07:29,260 --> 00:07:32,300 Speaker 2: that you are our help. Lord, that we can rely 106 00:07:32,420 --> 00:07:36,740 Speaker 2: on you in times of good and in times of bad. Lord, 107 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:40,100 Speaker 2: your ability to help us doesn't change. Whether things are 108 00:07:40,140 --> 00:07:43,250 Speaker 2: going along great or we have come to a hard 109 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:49,210 Speaker 2: stop where life has just turned everything upside down and topsy-turvy, 110 00:07:49,270 --> 00:07:52,630 Speaker 2: but God, you are our help. So Lord, when we 111 00:07:52,690 --> 00:07:55,030 Speaker 2: are looking around, wondering where our help is going to 112 00:07:55,070 --> 00:07:57,989 Speaker 2: come from, remind us that our help comes from you. 113 00:07:58,690 --> 00:08:02,150 Speaker 2: You made heaven and earth. You set the stars in place. 114 00:08:02,170 --> 00:08:05,550 Speaker 2: You tell the sun to rise and to set. You 115 00:08:05,570 --> 00:08:09,890 Speaker 2: provided us moonlight to light the dark nights. So God, 116 00:08:09,910 --> 00:08:13,390 Speaker 2: we're going to trust you today with this thing that 117 00:08:13,410 --> 00:08:16,230 Speaker 2: we're holding on to that we need a lot of 118 00:08:16,290 --> 00:08:19,790 Speaker 2: help with. God, we trust you and we believe in 119 00:08:19,890 --> 00:08:22,690 Speaker 2: you with all of our hearts that you are going 120 00:08:22,770 --> 00:08:26,990 Speaker 2: to come to our aid. In Jesus name we pray. 121 00:08:27,010 --> 00:08:27,670 Speaker 1: Amen.