My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2 KJV
Life has challenges. There are situations and circumstances in life that will threaten the peace in your heart as well as want you to doubt the presence of God in you. The statement above makes one very clear assumption: that God lives inside of you. Let it be clear: life will always bring you challenges. There is no amount of spirituality or prayers that will prevent you from going through tough times, but the assurance from God has always been that He is in and with us, and nothing we go through will swallow us up. Even in the extreme case of death, God in you means there is a hope of glory. After all, this earthly life is just a phase; it ends soon and we will be going home to the place God has promised all who endure to the end. These are promises made by the All-powerful God, the El-Shaddai, who has always been found faithful to His Word.
Before these tough times come, God has already provided His Word. The world too has its own provisions, and they can sometimes be so attractive that they become distractions. When there is an urgent need, and it does not appear there is an immediate solution, what do I do? When I have held on to God for a while, and it seems that nothing is happening, how do I handle the uncertainty? The writer of this psalm too had to look up and wonder where help was going to come from. It is a legitimate concern, and God too is interested in providing comfort and answers to that concern. In the event that you were wondering what hills had to do with Jerusalem, history says that Jerusalem is located roughly in the middle of a range of low mountains. It is not itself built ON a mountain, but it is built IN the mountains, and surrounded by seven mountain peaks higher than itself.
I am sure that this picture provided comfort for many Jews. They could look to their city and have confidence in its safety. However, they did not reckon with the power of sin and the undeniable power of God, who can render defences useless just to prove that you are safe only in Him. The typical Jew would look up and see the hills and mountains and would take comfort in these; the writer here knew the folly of trusting in created things instead of in the Creator. We read how many times Jerusalem was attacked and conquered, which goes to show that you really don't need high walls to be safe; you just need God. Many have trusted in their bank account balances, and realised too late that money was only a defence in limited things, but not in eternal equations. Many have trusted in the safety of their circle of influence, but also learnt that man can only lift you as high as his limited arms can carry you, and only if he is not already holding something else in his hands.
Oh, the folly of trusting in limited editions of man like myself. There is nothing man can give me that God cannot give me even better versions. We have listened to the lies of the devil for too long, as he seeks to deceive us with his offerings of safety and protection, when he is himself subject to enternal damnation. How can anyone promise you what he does not possess or control, or offer you what he does not have? How can a man offer me life without end by killing something or someone in order to secure that offering? The writer introduces to us the One who has all that we need in abundance, and who offers us free of charge. He is the One who rose up from the dead, is alive forever, and now offers us life like his own, which has no end. All he asks is to give him is total and absolute faith in Him that He can do all He has promised.
He is the Lord, the maker of heaven and the earth. Think about that: the Maker. If he makes a thing, can that thing ever work against his purpose? Even for earthly things, can a TV ever work as a deep freezer? No, the creator of the TV and the freezer would insert components that will make the TV and the freezer work as they should, and that is the basis of the confidence of the writer here. He says he will look up to the Lord, who can command what he has created to do his bidding, as well as that which is not even normal for the created to do. How do you command money from the mouth of a fish? How do you feed 5,000 men with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes? How does a man walk on water? How does a man who has been dead 4 days come back to life? These are a few of the mighty acts of the creator, who is not limited by time, space or circumstances, but can do as He pleases and no one can question him or his decisions and actions.
He has introduced himself to me; I have a decision to make. I have to submit to someone: God or the devil. There is no middle ground; God does not do lukewarm. I have to either choose him or reject him; I can't play both sides. Today's extract are the words of someone who has probably tried both options, and has found God to be the real, true help, who can do all that He has promised. His principles with David are the same principles with John; he is still the same God and if I can only take him at his Word, I will find out that he can indeed be trusted. So, what decision do I have to make? I don't have forever to make up my mind; I have to do it before it is too late. God waits on me; all his promises are Yea and Amen. God's time of favour is here.
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