“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?” (Psalm 121:1)
When we just want to close our eyes, but can’t, there’s one place we can always look for help. Up.
“Looking up” has long symbolized seeking God. Through Psalm 121, travelers sang about lifting their eyes to the mountains, where people worshiped. Some worshiped false gods on those mountains. They had to go “up” to their gods to get any help.
But those worshiping the One True God, the God of Israel, looked up and asked themselves “where does my help come from?” for good reason. God has always come to His people to help.
We may look “up” to Him, but when we look around us, we also see that our God is helping us right where we are. The God we look “up” to is also “the lifter of our heads” (Psalm 3:3). He came to us as Immanuel, the Christ. He is God with us.
So when we lift our heavy eyelids, we don’t have to squint at mountains or other spiritual symbols for help. We don’t have to look far at all. God, our help, is right here already.
What reassures you that God is with you right now?
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Bethany, when I’m running with my daughter, she will sometimes turn back to me and say, “Head up, Mom!” When I’m really tired, I tend to put my head down, but turns out, it’s actually easier to run with my head up. I’m so thankful that looking up doesn’t just help me run better, it helps me focus on the true source of my help and strength.