Pastor Bell's Words To Live By

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).

Hills of Jerusalem

When the Lord is our hiding place we will look to him for everything. In ancient times it was almost a criminal offence for a slave to look their masters in the eye, or to turn their back to them when retreating. And even today in countries where this mentality is still prevalent people would look down when shaking your hand or retreat backwards when leaving your presence.

From our passage today we see here the psalmist encouraging his hearers to lift up their heads and look the hills, presumably of Jerusalem, where their help comes from. Because Jerusalem was a place where the Lord lived, the people of God made it their task to make regular journey’s there or if they could not get there then they would look up towards Jerusalem, the city of peace.

When Mary found out that she was chosen to bring the Messiah into the world, she looked to Jerusalem, the hill where God lived, and exclaimed; My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in the God of my salvation” Luke 1:46.

It was in the temple of Jerusalem that Jesus would be presented as a child, where as a man he would drive out those who were profiteering in it and where he would be condemned and later killed. 

Today we also need to look up, but not to a place or a religious system but to the invisible all knowing Yahweh and his son Jesus who came down so that we can go up!

Read Psalm 121 and Luke 1:39-56