Strength from the Mountains
Psalm 121:1-2
“I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
These words make up the first two stanzas of a Song of Ascents.
The Songs of Ascents are a collection of 15 Psalms traditionally sung by Hebrew pilgrims as they journeyed to Jerusalem for worship during annual festivals. These psalms express themes of trust, hope, and spiritual ascent, reflecting the pilgrims’ journey from distress to divine joy and highlight the communal aspect of worship. Praise the Lord!
I’ve lived near mountains much of my life. In Birmingham, AL a peak called Red Mountain, part of the Appalachians, oldest mountains in North America, was visible out my front door. In Colorado, the Great Rockies towered grandly over the city of Denver and could be seen everywhere I looked. And now in Tennessee, the majestic Smokies, part of the Blue Ridge, America’s most visited mountains is the vista out my windows!
But the mountain I remember most fondly was an imaginary peak. I was around 12 years old when I saw it. I was in fifth grade, and my beloved grandfather had recently died of sudden cardiac arrest. I remember the feeling of devastation and crying uncontrollably as I walked home from school and up the little hill to our home. I stopped to wipe my eyes and when I looked up at the blue sky in front of me it appeared! The sky was filled with huge cumulus clouds that had taken the shape of a snow-covered mountain peak! It filled the whole sky and I was stunned to feel God’s presence with me!
My Pawpaw always read the Bible to me and took me to church. At the moment of the “mountain” sighting, I could hear his voice in my head. But I knew the voice was from God and was assuring me that my Pawpaw was home with God and that my help would now come from God too!
Here in Tennessee, we can see God’s mountains just about all the time. We would do well to be reminded of this verse every time we see them. And if no mountains are near you, just close your eyes and see God’s holy mountain, remembering His promise and blessing whenever you need it, no matter where you are. “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains – from where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
Won’t you please pray with me…Dear Lord, Maker of all things, please draw me close and let me feel your LOVE, your guidance, and your help, in all things, all the days of my life. Whenever I see mountains and hills, real or imaginary, let me remember you and reach for your help. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!
This devotion was written and read by Bernice Howard.
Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.
If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.
First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.
