Scripture:
Psalm 120
1 In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
2 Deliver me, O Lord,
Psalm 121
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
Observation:
The author of these psalms is in “distress”.
He needs “help”.
This is a person clearly worried about something.
Things are not going well.
Circumstances of his life are not as he would want them to be.
What is his response to this?
“Call to the Lord” and “lift up my eyes”
Why?
“He answers me” and “help comes from the Lord”
Application:
The author here gives a very clear application to his worries.
But it’s an application that in the “real world” doesn’t always satisfy.
The author says “call to the Lord”.
But what if I don’t want to “call the Lord”?!
I don’t want to call the Lord, I want to call Triple A!
I want to call someone who will just come to me and fix my problem!
Oh … and then go away … like the AAA guy.
God’s not that kind of God, though.
He’s not interested in fixing and going away.
He wants to be with me always.
He wants relationship.
There’s a reason I need to always “call upon the lord” and always “lift my eyes up” to Him.
This is called … Worship!
In worship I find “deliverance”.
In worship I find “help”.
Of the external circumstances that are worrying me?
No, but of the internal circumstances of my heart.
In fact, I’m not so sure I can “worry” and “worship” at the same time.
They’re pretty similar if you think about it.
What is “Worry”? … a fixed, focused attention on one thing.
What is “Worship”? … a fixed, focused attention on one thing.
If I am “worrying”, it may be an indicator I am worshipping … the wrong thing.
This makes me realize why Jesus gave us a very clear and simple 3 word command regarding it:
“Do not Worry”.
Prayer:
Thank you Father that you are always there for me to “call out to” and “lift my eyes” to.
Thank you that you “deliver me” and “help” me where I need it most, in my heart and mind.
Help me Holy Spirit to always remember you when I’m tempted to drift into worry about my external circumstances.
Help me worship you!
In Jesus name!
Amen !