Psalm 121:1–2: “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.”

May 6th, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional

This psalm was sung by pilgrims making their journey to Jerusalem, on Mount Zion, for one of the feasts. Psalm 120–134 are the traditional “Songs of Ascent” that together formed a hymn book used by pilgrims as they went up to Jerusalem. Although the psalmist was looking to the high ground, he was not looking for the mountains themselves to help him. But rather the mountains reminded him of God’s creative power, and that God alone is our source of help.

It is an interesting characteristic of the human eye that close reading strains the eye muscles as they pull on the lens to hold focus. Ophthalmologists tell us that the correct way to rest our eyes when reading close up for long periods of time is to look out a window and focus on something very far away for several minutes. The act of looking at or focusing on a distant object, allows the eye muscles to relax and be refreshed. This is also true in the spiritual realm. The “eyes of our heart,” as we sing, or our soul, become weary from focusing on our problems and troubles. If we would simply stop and look far off, into the eternal spiritual realm, our heart and soul would be restored and our spiritual perspective refreshed.

“LORD, we look to You as the giver of life. You alone have the living water that sustains us in a sometimes dry and weary land.”