051 Pray First: Lifting Our Eyes

Psalm 121 begins, “I lift up my eyes…” A common expression in Hebrew Scriptures.  It means to notice something, to become aware of the possibilities, to have your attention grabbed. Sometimes it’s a good thing that gets our attention. But sometimes it’s a difficult thing. 

In this case, it says “I lift my eyes to the hills.” Hills might seem like a good thing to you and me. But in the ancient world, hills represented hardship and difficulty. 

Psalm 121 is a “psalm of ascent.” That means it was sung by pilgrims on the way to Jerusalem. For these travelers, hills not only made travel difficult, they made it dangerous. Thieves and wild beasts that could not hide in the plains could hide in the hills. And the hills provided high ground for an attacking army.  

 So, when you read these words, don’t think of the psalmist singing happily.  Rather, think of him saying it with a sense of dread and worry: “I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where will my help come from?” 

Try substituting “hills” with the word “problems.”  “I lift up my eyes and I see my problems.” Money problems.  Job problems.  Family problems.  Health problems.  Emotional problems.  Relational problems.  

I see them and I think, “How am I going to make it? Where am I going to find help?  Things look so grim and it seems like I’m all alone.”

This is why we all wrestle with worry.  Worry results primarily from a heightened sense of vulnerability and a diminished sense of power.  We know we’re vulnerable and exposed and we know that we can’t do much about it.  

But the psalmist quickly moves out of panic mode to a place of quiet assurance.  “My help comes from the Lord.”

God is our help and that’s good news because I need help!  God is in control and that’s good news because I am not in control…and neither are you.  

And this brings us to the most important word in this psalm. It gets repeated over and over.  That word is, “watch.” The psalmist says:  

“He who watches over you.  He who watches over Israel. He will watch over your life.  He will watch over your coming.  He will watch over your going.”  

God is watching you. Whatever is going on in your life, in your body, with your money, your relationships. He's watching. 

When this reality grips you, you don't have to be afraid. You don’t have to worry.  There is One who is watching you and there is One you can call out to.  

Philippians 4:4, 6-7 says:

“Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Note that phrase, “in everything.”  All too often we pray about the major issues we’re facing but consider the minor challenges not worthy for prayer. We have this idea that we’d be bothering God if we brought those things before Him.  As a result, we end up worrying… a lot.

Listen, nothing is too big for God to handle.  And nothing is too small for God to care about.  

We need to become “in everything” pray-ers if we hope to get a handle on worry. So let me give you a good rule of thumb:  If something is big enough to worry about, it’s big enough to pray about.  

Text: Psalm 121

Originally recorded November 25, 2012, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.