"From Where Does My Help Come? The God Who Reigns!" based on Psalm 121

LWML Sunday (Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost) - October 4, 2009

Pastor Troy Slater - Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Herington, Kansas

In this day and age, we Americans tend to think nothing of getting into our car and driving many miles through the countryside. It's almost second nature for us. Drive to Junction City, over to Salina, down to Wichita. We get in our car and go. And while we certainly are aware that there are dangers out on the road, for we know that accidents can happen, there are a lot of dangers that we really don't even have to consider. For example, this last week my family and I drove up to Manhattan and of course the thought probably never occurred to any of us that something like being robbed or beat up or attacked by a wild animal would ever even happen to us out there on the road. And I know occasionally you do hear strange stories along those lines, but that's not a real concern for any of us. We take it for granted that we'll go, do our business, drive back. We do it all the time, no big deal.

Although that's not the case in many parts of the world today and such was definitely not the case in the days of the Old Testament. For when you traveled in those days through the countryside you were opening yourself up to all sorts of serious dangers and you knew it. That's why they generally traveled in large groups or caravans. That's why it took Mary and Joseph a whole day to realize that the twelve year old Jesus was not with them but had stayed in Jerusalem. At first they figured he was just with another part of the caravan. They traveled in groups because they knew that dangers were always lurking there in those hills along the road. Wild animals that would tear you apart for their next meal. Robbers and bandits who wouldn't think twice about beating you up, stealing your possessions - even your clothes - leaving you for dead - think of the parable of the good Samaritan. As you traveled through the hills there were dangers lurking all around, you never knew what to expect.

In our Psalmody that we read responsively together earlier - Psalm 121 - the psalmist cries out, "I lift up my eyes to the hills, from where does my help come?" This Psalm appears to have originally been intended as a psalm for the Israelite pilgrim who was setting off from Jerusalem and heading back home. Having come to Jerusalem for one of the many Jewish festivals they were now ready to head back home through those dangerous hills where who knows what would be awaiting them. And they were very aware of those dangers, it was at the top of their minds as they prepared to head through those hills. …

We live in a society where we try to insulate ourselves from life's dangers. Of course we've got all our vaccines that help keep us healthy. We've got seatbelts and airbags and anti-lock brakes in our cars. Our children have their bicycle helmets. We've got smoke alarms in our homes, firewalls in our computers, of course a tremendous police department in our community, and then of course there is always that insurance to protect us just in case. As we travel life's pilgrimage, we're pretty good at protecting ourselves from those dangers that lurk out there in those hills. …

Or, maybe not. Maybe not, or at least not enough, for illnesses still continue to ravage our bodies, those who desire to rob or to do us harm, at least at times, still find a way. Accidents still happen, losses still occur, death still does its deed. Yes as we travel life's pilgrimage, no matter who we are, no matter what we have, the hills still hold an awful lot of danger, don't they? … An awful lot of danger. …

For the Israelite pilgrim preparing to travel home from Jerusalem, having worshiped the God of heaven and of earth, our Psalm for today, Psalm 121, it served as a prayer. It served as a reminder - a promise of God's blessing upon them as they went out from that place and faced life's dangers. They would say, "I lift up my eyes to the hills". In other words, "I see the dangers lurking all around me, I know 'em quite well." And so "from where does my help come?", they would ask as we ask as well. "Where is my defense against danger? Who is my shield against that which threatens me?" … "from where does my help come?" …

There's really only one answer to that question, isn't there? Really only one answer for the pilgrim facing the dangers lurking out there in those hills. And so in the Psalm, and hopefully also in our lives, comes that confident answer of faith. "My help comes from the Lord," the pilgrim responds. "My help comes from the Lord, the creator of heaven and earth. My help comes from the one who reigns over heaven and earth, the one who watches over me even as I pass through these dangerous hills." "Yes my help comes from the Lord …"

"For He will not let your foot slip," the Psalm continues. In other words, there are no dangers that He cannot overcome. "He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over you will neither slumber nor sleep." The Lord is not a God who is on duty only at certain times. Rather the Lord is a God who is watching over His people at all times. He is always on duty.

Indeed "The LORD watches over you - in fact He is your shade at your right hand and so the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night." He will never let anything in all creation ever separate you from Him and His gracious presence. In fact "the LORD will keep you from all evil—He will watch over your life; your coming and your going for both now and forevermore." … Psalm 121; a wonderful Psalm; a wonderful assurance with which God's pilgrim would set off on his journey through those dangers that awaited him.

And here a little later this morning we, as God's pilgrims, we will once again set out on our journeys through those dangerous hills that await us. And we too go out with that assurance, that promise from the God of heaven and earth that He will watch over us and keep us. … For we can go out with such assurance because we know that the One who reigns, the One who created us, the One who watches over us, He is also the very One who came down into these same hills. He is also the very One who faced life's dangers for us; the One who allowed Himself to be beaten up, stripped of all possessions and dignity. We can know that the God of heaven watches over us because He is also the God of the cross....

I often tell people who are going through a difficult time that Jesus didn't go all the way to the cross, only to abandon you now or ever for that matter. Jesus didn't give up His life for you and call you His own through the waters of Holy Baptism only to forget about you now.

We've been studying the book of Revelation in Sunday School and really the book of Revelation is quite simple. It's of course easy to get lost in the book of Revelation with all the plaques and famines and wars and death and evils that mark the book. But really the basic message through it all is that God reigns; He has won the final victory. The same God - the same Savior - the Lamb of God who shed His blood on Calvary - our crucified, risen and ascended Lord, is the same One seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty and He will come again to judge the living and the dead. The same God who died for us - He is the very same One who reigns over us. It's a word of hope for us pilgrims who face life's dangers. A word of hope and of encouragement. And that's the basic message of this Psalm for today also. A word of hope, a word of encouragement for us who are traveling through these dangerous hills. …

In our Old Testament reading we heard the prophet Isaiah saying, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

That's really our job, isn't it, our fundamental duty as God's people? To walk among the mountains - the hills - and bringing God's Word of peace in Jesus and His cross to those fellow pilgrims who are facing life's troubles and dangers. Bringing good tidings, proclaiming the salvation of our God who reigns in heaven and on earth to those who walk life's dark road with us. It's our job to shout among these hills, "Our help comes from the Lord." That's our job.

And it is this job, or at least one of many groups designed to carry out this job, that we celebrate today on this LWML Sunday. Today we give thanks to God for the many women of today and of the past of the Lutheran Women's Missionary League who have prayed, who have worked, who have spoken for the purpose of proclaiming the good news of that God of the cross who reigns. And of course here at Our Redeemer we have a group that has been a part of the LWML now for 65 years this month. And we certainly give thanks to God for the work they have done and continue to do. Fellow pilgrims who join with all of God's people in proclaiming the Gospel message of Jesus to a world that has gotten so lost amongst the hills.

And so let's all join with them. Let's join with all of God's pilgrims as we leave this place this morning with our Lord's blessings and promises and as we go out into those hills. Let us go confident that our help comes from the Lord as we proclaim the good news of Him who reigns - our Lord Jesus Christ. And to Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.