When Jewish pilgrims made their way to the temple in Jerusalem, they had a group of poems they recited together as they traveled. These poems or psalms were called the "songs of ascent."

One of the psalms describes the anxiety pilgrims would feel while making the trip. Many travelers would pass through Jericho; the road from Jericho to Jerusalem rises more than 3200 feet in less than 20 miles. Mountain roads were dangerous, full of robbers and bandits. Traveling on the plain, a traveler could see any ambush ahead. In the mountains, danger could lurk around any bend.

The psalm begins by saying, "I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from?" (Psalms 121:1). We can easily imagine an anxious traveler eying the ominous mountains ahead and worrying about his safety. Who would protect him against unknown foes?

"Where does my help come from?" The psalm offers an answer to this question:

My help comes from the LORD,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—

he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you—

the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm—

he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore (Psalms 121:2-8).

What's your hope for the future?
As we face an uncertain life full of hidden dangers, we ask the same question: where will our help come from? In other words, who will we turn to for help? Where will we put our trust?

Where can we find hope?

The answer remains the same: our help comes from the Lord. He'll never be too weak or too distracted or too tired or too distant to come to our rescue. We have eternal security knowing that God is our helper. We don't have to trust in money or politics or armies to rescue us. We can fully trust in God.

What's your hope for the future? Who or what are you putting your trust in? Let me encourage you to fully trust in the Lord and his salvation. If you want to know more about trusting in the Lord, write to me at tarcher@heraldoftruth.org or join our conversation at HopeForLife.org .

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