I lift my eyes

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (verse 1 )

Read Psalm 121

I once visited a member of my congregation in Calvary Hospital, North Adelaide. She was a resident of the Adelaide Hills but had come to North Adelaide for treatment. By the time I visited, she had been there for almost a week and was very much looking forward to going home.

From her hospital bed she could see the Adelaide Hills, rising up behind the city. It was a beautiful view and allowed us to literally ‘lift our eyes to the hills’, as we read Psalm 121 together.

In this psalm, the psalmist looks to the hills and reflects on the help God provides. He is never distant and never sleeping. Instead he keeps watch over us and cares for us no matter what situation we find ourselves in.

To look to the hills in Jerusalem was to look to the temple mount, the place of God’s presence. The hills remind us that whether we are coming or going, staying or leaving, in hospital or at home, God’s gracious presence is never far away. The help we need comes from the Lord, who made the hills and heaven and earth.

Lord and protector, keep me safe and guard my life. Bless my family, my friends and those in hospital. Watch over me as I come in and go out, now and forever. Amen.

Devotion by Ben Pfeiffer from “Time Out … with Jesus” (Australian Church Resources, 2014)

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