“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore” (Psalm 121).
Sometimes, as we look for relief and rescue, the troubles, fears, worries, and anxieties we face can seem insurmountable.
In the words of Psalm 121, the psalmist doesn’t say whether he’s looking to the mountains as a source of comfort and protection or as a source of threat and danger. In the end, it really doesn’t matter. He’s looking past the mountains to the one who made them—the one who made heaven and earth. And then in the rest of the psalm, he’s reminding us to do the same.
That can be easier said than done, can’t it?
Help from God doesn’t always look visible or tangible. His watching over our lives, day and night, isn’t always noticeable. After all, we slip and fall; we get hurt and knocked down by life in this sin-darkened world.
Where is God in those moments?
He’s right by our side, urging us to look past the mountains and pointing us in his Word to what his Son Jesus has done for us—the rescue and relief he won for us.
By our Savior’s sacrifice on the cross, our sins are forgiven. We have peace with God. He calls us his dearly loved children. A home in heaven is waiting for us, lovingly prepared by our God. Until that day, he holds us in his hands, supporting and sustaining us with his means of grace through Word and sacraments—visible, tangible means by which he shows us how much he loves us.
The troubles and problems we face in life still exist, despite God’s presence in our lives. They’ll exist until Christ returns or calls us home to be with him. But as we face such things, we don’t need to be worried, anxious, or afraid.
God is for us. God is with us. Our help comes from him, and he watches over us. No problem is too big for him. No trouble is too great for him to bear. Jesus has already shown that by bearing the sins of the world upon his back. And he overcame, conquering sin, death, and the devil for you and me.
Look to our God, dear Christian. He has rescued you and given you relief. Trust in him, and know that he is with you always. He is your source of comfort and protection.
Look past the mountains. Look to the one who made all things and holds all things in his hands—including you.
Looking for additional words of comfort? An Ever-Present Help in Trouble is a devotional booklet filled with 40 devotions of gospel comfort that remind you of God’s love for you and how he is always by your side.
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Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.
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