My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
Psalms 120-134 are commonly known as the “Songs of Ascents.” Tradition says that these were songs that were sung on pilgrimage journeys to Jerusalem (Jewish people would travel to Jerusalem from all over in order to celebrate various religious feasts). Some say as well that the number of Songs of Ascents (15) matches the number of steps at the Temple, so that at each step worshippers would sing one of the songs. Regardless of their heritage and history, each is scripture, and each is beautiful and beneficial in its own right.
The quote at the top is from Psalm 121. This particular psalm is a song of trust and confidence in the presence of God. The psalmist declares to the congregation that the LORD is the one who is faithful and attentive. It is the LORD who is perfectly in tune with all of our comings and goings, and it is the LORD who is our source of strength, help, and salvation. Regardless what difficulties or calamities or enemies we may face, the psalmist affirms, the LORD is greater than all of them. He never loses sight of his people. And, unlike us, he never “falls asleep at the wheel.” He is ever-present and ever engaged.
It is all too easy in life for us to be dragged down by events and circumstances from time to time. It is not uncommon sometimes for us as God’s people to wonder about his presence and his activity in our world. For such times, the writer of Psalm 121 has a message: the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth, is far more powerful than anything else. He is alive, awake, and in control.
–Ricky