I AM YOUR HELP
Notes
Transcript
The phrase “God helps those who help themselves” was made popular by Benjamin Franklin in his publication Poor Richards Almanac. His famous axiom, which was not original with him, has so ingrained itself into American life that many believe it to be Scripture.
Pollster George Barna verifies this belief in a recent poll which revealed that 68% of “born-again” Christians believe that Franklin’s axiom is actual Scripture. Despite not appearing in the Bible, the phrase topped a poll of the most widely known Bible verses. Seventy-five percent of American teenagers said they believed that it was the central message of the Bible.
Today’s text is tailored to teach us that “I am is our helper”.
I AM IS OUR HELPER.
I AM IS OUR HELPER.
This truth is taken from the opening six words of
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The phrase “I am” defines or explains the word LORD. The word LORD literally means “I AM that I AM”. When Moses asked the LORD who should I say sent me the LORD said tell Pharoah “I am” has sent you. When the Lord says “I am that I am” he is saying there is no other like me. He is stating His utter uniqueness. So when the Psalmist says “my help comes from the LORD” he is saying “I AM IS MY HELPER”. It could also be said “I have help like no other”.
The text reminds us that we must have a proper self-awareness.
YOU MUST ADMIT THAT YOU NEED HELP.
YOU MUST ADMIT THAT YOU NEED HELP.
I lift up my eyes. The Psalmist words are an admittance of help and not just for a singular event but of continual help. He is not looking to himself or the hills for help. He knows that nothing on earth can provide him what he is in need of.
Many great saints of God have cited this passage as their strength for difficult times. David Livingstone, the famous missionary and explorer of the continent of Africa, read Psalm 121 before setting out for Africa in 1840.
God’s strongest saints realize their weaknesses, and appeal to Him for strength. One Sunday morning, as Charles H. Spurgeon passed through the door back of the pulpit in the Tabernacle, and saw the great crowd of people, he was overheard saying, “O God, help!” As strong as he was, he realized that he was insufficient for so great a task as preaching the Gospel in power, unless God should be his Helper."
Throughout Scripture we learn that self-sufficiency disqualifies one from divine help (God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble). To receive God’s help we must admit our need for help. We must stop trying to help ourselves. Weak saints display a big God.
Why do we find it so difficult to ask for help? Is it our raising? Is it our natural disposition? Or maybe for some it is the effect of Lifecall’s 1989 commercial where an elderly woman is lying in the floor crying out “help I’ve fallen and can’t get up”. No one wants to feel helpless. Helplessness increase anxiety and who needs more anxiety.
However, a proud faith is as much as a contradiction as a humble devil. Christianity is a faith for the weak and lowly. Our thoughts on the word help reveals much about our own hearts.
Christian you will learn weakness. Pits are often needed for those who follow Christ. A pit magnifies our weakness and causes us to look up for help. Pits are not places of punishment but of purpose. Strong Christians must be stripped of their strength so they can be clothed with His strength.
Gideon’s army was to large and strong so the Lord reduced his numbers to make Him ready for victory. Jehoshaphat army was small compared to Ammonites, Moabites, and Meunites but Jehoshaphat did not lead in his own strength;
O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
In whatever state, in whatever place, into whatever condition we may find ourselves — let us "look up!" Where you choose to lift your eyes has significant consequences.
Do not look back — as Lot's wife did.
Do not look within — as too many do.
Do not look around — as David did.
But "look up!" Look up to God — He is your Father, your Friend, your Savior. He can help you. He will help you. He says,
“Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.
Look up every day, saying with David,
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up.
Look up in every trial, saying "I will lift up my eyes unto the hills, from whence comes my help: my help comes from the Lord, who made Heaven and earth!"
Do not look at your sin — it will discourage you!
Do not look at your self — it will distress you!
Do not look at Satan — he will bewilder you!
Do not look to men — they will deceive, or disappoint you!
Do not look at your trials — they will deject you!
"Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us — looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith!" Hebrews 12:1-2
Look around and be distressed.
Look inside and be depressed.
Look at Jesus and be at rest.
Where are looking today? Your look will determine your outlook.
This Psalm is the second song in the Songs of Ascent. There are 15 Psalm’s or songs that comprise the Songs of Ascent. They begin in Psalm 120 and continue until Psalm 134. They were sung as pilgrims made there yearly journey to Jerusalem. This journey was difficult and arduous. Travelers would face all types of environmental conditions from extreme heat during the day to extreme cold at night. We are reminded of the danger and treachery of this journey in the story of the Good Samaritan. Ascending the 2,600 feet of elevation to Jerusalem was narrow and steep with sharp drop offs; there was nothing easy about this ascent. Such information heightens the Psalmist words
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.
ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS: WHEN THE OUT-LOOK IS BLEAK REMEMBER THE UP-LOOK.
If you want help you must admit your need. Once you have admitted your need you can be assured of His help.
YOU CAN BE ASSURED OF HELP.
YOU CAN BE ASSURED OF HELP.
Only the Creator can be the Helper of His creation. If he has accomplished the greater (Creation of everything), He will surely accomplish the lesser (Be our Helper in time of need).
A God big enough to make this world and keep it going is big enough to help you with your problems today. He Who spoke the heavens is to be "my" personal Helper! Is this not an awesome, humbling thought? The next time you are in a tight spot, recall this verse to your mind ("Preach it to your soul!").
I will lift my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth.
You must talk to yourself more than you listen to yourself.
I AM IS OUR KEEPER.
I AM IS OUR KEEPER.
Five times in six verses the Psalmist tells us that the LORD demonstrates His help by keeping us.
HE KEEPS US CONSTANTLY.
HE KEEPS US CONSTANTLY.
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
We could not stand a moment—if our Divine Keeper were to sleep! We need Him by day and by night. Not a single step can be safely taken—except under His guardian eye. The Lord is the body-guard of His people. When dangers are all around us—we are safe, for our Preserver is awake, and will not permit us to be moved. No fatigue of exhaustion can cast our God into sleep—His watchful eyes are never closed. His sleepless vigilance is for our good. God keeps us, protects us, and cares for us—with no need for refreshing. Our Protector is constantly seeking our good.
Psalm 66:8–9 (ESV)
Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard,
who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip.
When the verb ‘slip’ is used with ‘foot’ or ‘feet’, it denotes slipping in a time of trouble. The Lord is the one who is immovable and he holds his children so that their feet do not slip. Those who trust in I AM are as unmovable as the mountain which Jerusalem sits upon.
David echoes this true adding in
The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way;
though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.
Peter fell but it was not fatal or final. Jesus upheld Peter
but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
When grace does not keep us from going down it will keep us from staying down. When I AM IS YOUR HELP nothing can prevail against you.
HE KEEPS US COMPLETELY.
HE KEEPS US COMPLETELY.
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The truth is that I AM surrounds His people, and guards them at every point of attack. Our foe must be able to pierce the impenetrable and conquer the invincible, before he can touch the weakest saint who is sheltered by the wings of God. Satan speaking to I AM about His servant Job said
Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
HE KEEPS US CONTINUALLY.
HE KEEPS US CONTINUALLY.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.
We can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that nothing can come into our life apart from the permissive will of God. Everything is "filtered" through the hands of our loving Father. There are no chance circumstances or random occurrences in the life of a believer. Nothing happens in a believer's life that is purposeless for "we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." As John Calvin says "Whatever thou shalt undertake or engage in during thy life shall come to a happy and successful termination."
Missionary Adoniram Judson said God has not led me so tenderly thus far to forsake me at the very gate of heaven.
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,
to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
No matter what comes against us in our journey of faith I AM IS OUR HELP and I AM WILL KEEP US.
The Psalm does not promise to keep us from trouble but he keep us in the midst of trouble. No power of hell, no scheme of man, Can ever pluck me from His hand: