I lift up my eyes to the hills –
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2
I am sure that each one of us enjoys looking at the mountains; they speak to us of majesty, beauty, strength, power, endurance, security, solidity, immovability etc. I took this photo of Kanchenjunga, the 3rd highest mountain in the world, in the Himalayas, not far from where we stay when we travel to India.
Yet these same mountains that we so enjoy and which give us so much pleasure do sometimes shake, collapse and are even removed when earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions occur. Even the greatest and most magnificent parts of creation sometimes fail and are destroyed when a greater and more powerful force comes against them.
Isn’t that a bit like life? We sometimes feel secure, strong and maybe even self-satisfied, complacent and unshakeable when all is going well in our lives and situations. We have faith in our own abilities to cope with whatever happens to us and we put our trust in family, friends and others around us who we know are there to help when the difficult times come. But then the earthquake strikes and life as we once knew it is shaken and breaks down and we wonder if anything will ever be the same again. What can we do?
In the verses quoted above, the Psalmist says that he looks to the hills, those things which appear to be strong and resilient, and asks ‘where does my help come from?’ He then answers his own question for he knows that however strong, secure and apparently trustworthy the hills and mountains appear to be, in times of trouble he has proved that his ultimate safety, security, assurance and help comes from the Lord God Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth, the One Who created all things.
And that is the same for us in these days of distress, difficulty and death all around the world and in our own local situations. The best scientists, medical practitioners, academics and politicians are trying their best to find the answers. But we have to recognise that the people and organisations that we have looked to and trusted in may no longer be able to help us, for they too will be shaken and collapse.
There are many occasions in the Bible when terrible times came upon God’s people, and the sadness and brokenness in God’s great heart of love is evident when we read:
“Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares the Lord, “They refused to repent and turn to Me.”
We pray that you may know the loving, strong arms of Almighty God holding you safe and secure during these dreadful days as you turn to Him for His help and strength. The Lord bless you and keep you.
Ron Brickman