Psalm 121 – Lift My Eyes!
I remember a story about man who gave his grandson a kite. The boy had been experiencing hardships, and his grandfather wanted him to look up. In the same way, Psalm 121 – lift my eyes, reminds us to look up, focus on God.
Psalm 121
Psalm 121 is another song of ascents for pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. The psalmist starts by lifting his eyes to the mountains and asking where help comes from. Perhaps he was in distress and seeking help. Or perhaps was remembering a time when God came to his help, or was simply focusing on the Lord who provides help.
“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (1-2)
Regardless it is a statement of profound faith in God, the Maker of heaven and earth. The very act of looking up is a statement of faith. If you look up you might fall. But the writer doesn’t worry about that because he knows God, who doesn’t sleep, is on the job, watching out for him at all times.
“He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” (3-4)
Besides this, God provides protection, day and night.
“The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.” (5-6)
Psalm 121 – lift my eyes, ends with the affirmation that God will keep the reader from all harm, reaffirming what had already been said. God watches over our comings and goings at all times.
“The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (7-8)
The Way of the Pilgrim
The writer of Psalm 121 – lift my eyes, is on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He looks ahead at the mountains. Mountains may inspire awe, or fear. Mountains can be beautiful, but danger lurks among them. (For more on Mountains in the Psalms, see What Do Mountains in the Psalms Teach Us About God? – Patricia M Robertson)
Pilgrimages can be exciting, or scary. Dangers lurk around corners and bends in the path. You might encounter thieves along the way. You might encounter wolves in the mountains. All reasons for fear.
“The psalm begins with a recognition that the world as it is is full of uncertainty, that fear threatens to uproot experiences of security and safety. The mountains (ha¯ri^m) loom large and daunting before the psalmist’s eyes. Thus the psalmist—in this case, the pilgrim—begins in a state of helplessness and wonders out loud how they will be able to make this difficult journey.” Commentary on Psalm 121 – Working Preacher from Luther Seminary
The journey through Psalm 121 is also a pilgrimage. We begin by asking where our help comes from. The response is the Lord. The writer then reinforces this, by repeating all the ways that God watches over us. The journey ends with the affirmation that God will keep us safe now and forevermore.
“The journey metaphor that holds the psalm together works on a number of levels. As the pilgrims affirm that the protective presence of God accompanies them on their journey to Jerusalem, they are invited to make associations between their individual life trajectories and the story of Israel’s relationship with God. In this way, each pilgrim is invited to recall the ways in which God has cared for them, while also seeing their journey as part of Israel’s journey.” Commentary on Psalm 121 – Working Preacher from Luther Seminary
Psalm 121 – Lift My Eyes
Life is a pilgrimage as well. It is beautiful, awe-inspiring, and also it elicits fear. We never know what might lay around the next turn. While the psalmist asserts that God will not let your foot slip, we know that in life, far too often we slip and fall. Often, we experience hardships and misfortune over which we have no control, like the little boy at the beginning. Jesus was no stranger to hardships.
A truer statement is that our God is always with us, watching over us.
There are many reasons in this world to look down, rather than up, many reasons to fear. But we have hope that goes beyond fear. Hope in a risen Lord. This week, as we join with Christians in the celebration of Holy Week, let us lift our eyes to God like the pilgrims in Psalm 121 – lift my eyes. Let us lift our eyes to the cross. Our God who kept the early pilgrims safe on their journey to Jerusalem and who has brought each of us this far in our lives, will never fall asleep on the job.
How has God sustained you throughout your life? Do you tend to look down, or look up?
(For another take on this psalm, see Psalm 121: Where Do You Find Help? – Patricia M Robertson)
This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and receive a free copy of Still Dancing, the second book in my Dancing through Life Series. click here to sign up
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