Waiting and Watching for the Help of God
Psalm 121:1-8
June 22-23, 2024
We are in the section of the Psalms, there are 15 psalms in this section called the Psalms of Ascent, starting with Psalm 120. Now, they're called the Psalms of Ascent because Jewish men are required or were required to appear in Jerusalem three times every year for the Jewish festivals of Passover, Pentecost, these would be in late spring, and then Feast of Tabernacles in the fall. Many would bring their families and make it a family adventure. There they would be on their way to Jerusalem, singing these Psalms. Singing, reciting.
They're called the Psalms of Ascent because Jerusalem sits at about 2,500 feet above sea level, and so anyone traveling to Jerusalem is going to be ascending, so the Psalms of Ascent. Now, it would accomplish many things to sing these songs as you are journeying on your way to Jerusalem. Firstly, it would turn the hearts of the children toward the house of God, building great anticipation for the day we get to Jerusalem, and go to the house of the Lord, and there is God's glory, and there we're going to worship. It makes everybody excited for getting there.
In fact, David wrote in Psalm 122, one of the Psalms of Ascent, starting in verse 1, "Oh, I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.' Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem that is built as a city compact together, to which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord and ordinance for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord." Singing hymns on the journey would also keep the kids from saying, "Are we there yet?" over and over and over. "No, we're not there yet, kids. Let's sing the Songs of Ascent again." Take them an hour to sing all of them. "Let's do it again, kids."
The journey from Galilee, let's say, in the north, to Jerusalem by foot would take about four to five days of travel, and most people would have taken the Jordan Road. Now, there's a direct route, but it would take them through Samaria, and the Jews did not have relations with Samaritans, so they would take the Jordan Road. There you would go to the southern end of the Sea of Galilee, following the Jordan River all the way until you get to Jericho. Then, when you get to Jericho, then you turn up the very famous or infamous and difficult Jericho Road, entering into Jerusalem from the southeast. From Jericho to Jerusalem, it is an elevation climb of 3,300 feet of elevation.
It is a tremendously difficult journey from Jericho to Jerusalem. The time it would take, the journey on foot, from, let's say, Galilee to Jerusalem, would take about the same amount of time as it would take the average person today driving from the East Coast to the West Coast. Can you imagine doing this three times every year? And that's just one way, and then you've got to go back when you're done. Only you're not in an air-conditioned car. You're on foot, carrying your provisions and camping along the way. Now, of course, the kids would have loved the camping part. Kids love camping. Parents, not so much, but kids, they love the camping. This would have been a great adventure for the kids.
Finally, when you arrive in Jerusalem, they would make their way to the temple, and they would sing the Songs of Ascent one final time, as they entered into Jerusalem, they would go to the temple on the Southern Steps. There are 30 steps, and they're about 200 feet wide. They can accommodate many worshippers. By the way, the Southern Steps of Jesus' time are still there today. These are 30 steps built in a very unique repeating pattern of two steps and then a longer landing, and then two steps and then a longer landing.
Thus, a worshipper can take two steps, recite the first Psalm of the Ascents, or sing it, and then take two more steps, sing the next Song of Ascent, take two more steps, and thus, the final entry into the temple would be through the Psalms of Ascent. Whenever we go to Jerusalem, I hope you get to go to Jerusalem with us sometime, we always go to these Southern Steps, and recite the Psalms of Ascent, and sing some worship--, just abide in the Scriptures there in that very place where Jesus and the disciples would have ascended, entering into the temple.
I. Lift Up Your Eyes to the Lord
All right, Psalm 121. The theme of Psalm 121 is faith. Faith to believe in the help of God, the deliverance, the protection of God's help with strong faith of confidence in God. Now, David wrote many of the Psalms of Ascent, and if anyone understood the help of God, the difficulty of life, it would certainly be David. There's much for us in Psalm 121. Let's read it, beginning in verse 1. "I will lift up my eyes to the mountains, from whence shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord," and here he names the name of the Lord, Yahweh, that's the Lord's name, Jehovah, Yahavah.
"My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip. He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper. The Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all evil. The Lord will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in, from this time forth and forever." What a glorious Psalm. Much here for us to take hold of and apply to our lives, starting with verse 1, lift up your eyes, lift up your eyes to the Lord.
See, Jewish travelers on the road to Jerusalem would always be lifting up their eyes longing to see that city, the city where God has placed His name, where the House of God dwelt on the high and holy hill. You lift up your eyes. The travel from, let's say, the Sea of Galilee down to Jericho is really fairly easy because it's downhill. You're following along the Jordan, you're going to the Jordan Valley, and waterfront is downhill, you're walking downhill until you get to Jericho.
Then you've got to turn uphill and it's the last day. You're going to walk that last journey all on that last day. 3,300 feet of elevation climb, and it's hot. When you go to Jericho, you're low in elevation, so it is hot. Then you turn up that Jericho Road, and it is a difficult climb. I mean, by that time, the parents are saying, "Are we there yet?" There you begin to sense your weakness. There you begin to understand your frailty, your insufficiency, the necessity of God's help in your life. I lift up my eyes to the hills, all longing now for Jerusalem. By the way, whenever we go to Jerusalem, we like to enter through that Jericho Road.
Now, today, they have a tunnel that cuts through the Judean Hills. You enter through this long tunnel. Then when you come out of the tunnel, there is Jerusalem. It's really quite a beautiful moment because what we do as we enter into that tunnel, we always have it arranged with the bus to turn on the sound system of the bus, really loud, that beautiful Hebrew song, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem. Lift up your gates on high."
It's always gloriously moving as you come through the tunnel. There is, finally, you've lifted up your heart and now you're there in Jerusalem. See, there's the idea. "Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth, from the Lord God Almighty." See, since God made heaven and earth by His great power, is He not able then to send forth help by that same great power? That's the theme of the Psalm. In fact, it's the great declaration also of Isaiah 40, which is a very similar declaration.
Here in Isaiah 40, God answers those in Israel who say, "My way is hidden from the Lord. The justice which is due to me escapes the notice of my God. Like God does not attend to my way. No, my way is hidden from the Lord. Justice due to me escapes the notice." A very similar word is given. In Bible, students know Isaiah is one of the grand books of the Bible. Isaiah 40 is one of the capstone chapters. Notice how God answers those who say, "My way is hidden from the Lord and justice due to me escapes his notice."
He says in Isaiah 40:21, the following, "Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth that it is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers? It is He who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. It is He who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes judges of the earth meaningless. Scarcely have they been planted, scarcely have they been sown, scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, and He merely blows on them, and they wither, and the storm carries them away like so much stubble."
"To whom then will you liken me that I should be His equal?" says the Holy One. You see the parallel to Psalm 121. "Lift up your eyes on high and see who created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number and calls them each by name. And because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing, so why do you say, O Jacob, why do you assert, O Israel, that my way is hidden from the Lord and the justice due to me escapes the notice of my God?"
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. It is He who gives strength to the weary and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength, they will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired, and they will walk and they will not faint." That is a glorious chapter. Amen? Can we give God praise? It's a glorious chapter.
A. Pray, watch and wait for God’s help
That's the theme of Psalm 121. "I will lift up my eyes to the mountains. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth." In other words, my way is not hidden from the Lord. He is my great help. That's why then it becomes personal when your part then is to pray, to watch, and to wait for God's help. Notice verses 3 to 4, where He then gives that reminder, "He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep." In other words, God attends to your way. God knows. God sees. God cares. He neither slumbers nor sleeps.
Now, this reminder is important because sometimes you wait and you wait. Waiting, wanting God to answer, and you want Him to answer more quickly. You think He's taking longer than He should. The Psalm is that reminder, "He who keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. Ah, He is attentive to your way." Psalm 27:14, David wrote that beautiful grand psalm and the grand finale of that psalm, verse 14. "Now wait for the Lord." This is that declaration. "Wait for the Lord. Be strong and let your heart take courage in the waiting." Yes, wait for the Lord.
Now, to wait for the Lord means that you wait with eager expectation. I know my God. I know how He moves. He is my help. See, don't be impatient. If you look to God to be your help, then wait for that help. Do not move until you have waited for the Lord and He shows you the way. God will show you the way, but you must wait for God to move, for God to reveal, God to open your heart.
God does attend your way. First Peter 3:12, "For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer." Wait for the Lord. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Now, we on the other hand, we do slumber and sleep and grow weary and weak and tired. I mentioned recently that when I was in Bible college I didn't get much sleep. Like, "Oh." Yes. Here's why. I would get four or five hours of sleep every night. Here's why. I was determined to be diligent in my studies. Here's why.
Many of you know my story. God miraculously made a way for me to go into ministry and to be able to go to Bible college. He literally, miraculously, by His amazing, irrefutably miraculously, had paid for it all. My thought was, "If God has provided for me so miraculously, then the least I could do would be to give God my best to honor God for such kindness to me by giving everything I had to the studies that God has made a way for me to be blessed by. I'm going to give it my all. I would study late at night, sometimes only getting four or five hours sleep. I would pack all of my classes in the morning, go to lunch, and then I would go to the library and just study all afternoon.
Sometimes, I'd get tired. We were going through the Bible. Sometimes I would be listening to those through the Bible study messages with Pastor Chuck. If you've ever listened to any of these through the Bible messages from Pastor Chuck, you know that he's got that deep resonant voice, talks a little bit slower than most people talk, and it's very distinct, nice, resonant, deep voice. Pretty soon you're going to sleep, but oh, it was so glorious sleep. I would wake up so refreshed, "Oh, that is a holy glorious sleep right there."
It reminds me of a time I was talking to a young girl in the lobby. I love kids. She's, I don't know, 8, 9, 10, we're talking and I'm asking her some questions. At one point she says, "Do you know that I listen to you every day?" I said, "Really?" She's like eight or nine. "Really?" She says, "Yes, my mom has me listen to you every night." I said, "You listen to a message from me every night?" "Yes, my mom has me listen right before bed."
I said, "Why is that?" "It puts me to sleep." Oh, I understand. I said, "I have that effect on people. It's my gift." No, I'm joking, but it does remind me though. Sometimes people, they come to me and they say, "Oh, I want to apologize for falling asleep in your message." I see everybody. I say, "You know what? It doesn't bother me." It is true. It doesn't bother me. If anybody falls asleep, it does not bother me. Sometimes people say, "Oh man, I was so tired. I was up really, really late." In fact, there was one person who would work all night on Saturday night and come to church Sunday morning. Yes, exactly.
"I'm so sorry, it was hard to stay awake." I said, "You know what? I'm glad you're here. It doesn't bother me that you've fallen asleep. Look, you could have gone to home and gone to sleep there, but no, you came here to fall asleep." That's way better because it's going to be a holy, glorious, beautiful sleep. Amen. After the second service, someone came up and said, "Thanks for the nap, pastor. It was glorious to sleep." No, no. It doesn't bother me. You are welcome to go to sleep. Go to sleep.
No. Not only does God neither slumber nor sleep. No. Not only does God not slumber nor sleep, God keeps the night watch. He pours favor and blessing when you are sleeping. Psalm 127 is one of the glorious capstone psalms of ascent. Notice verses 1 to 2, we love this psalm. "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain. It's vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors. For it is He who gives to his beloved even while he sleeps."
B. Faith will give you strong footing
That is the faith to believe that my God is my help in time of need, I lift up my eyes. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth. Then He gives us in verse 3, that next declaration, "And He will not allow your foot to slip." See, faith will give you strong footing. Moving in the rocky hills, you must have strong footing. In Israel, you know there are many rocky hills. Easy to slip. Must have strong footing. When facing an enemy, you must have strong footing. To slip and fall in such circumstances could bring disaster.
In life it's the same. In life, you must have a strong footing. Now, strong footing literally means that there's a solid rock on which you stand. All other ground is sinking sand, but it isn't just that you have a rock. It's how you stand on that rock. It's the surefooting of standing on that rock. It's how-- Many people have the understanding that they have a rock, but how do you stand on that rock surefooted. Notice how David says it in Psalm 71, "Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come," to that rock of habitation for the glory of God dwells there. It's how you stand.
It's not just that you have a rock. It's how you stand on that rock. "You have given commandment to save me," he said. "For you are my rock, you're my fortress, you are my hope. Oh Lord God, you are my confidence from my youth." Now, that standing on the rock surefooted of faith. "Oh Lord God, you are my confidence of my life since my youth, and I have become a marvel to many, many people."
Look at David's life, and they did marvel. How is it that this David has such victories? How is it that David could arise to be such a captain, such a man of victory and valor and captain of many, how is it that David can be rescued by God over and over and over and over and over? How is it? They're marveling at David. David says, "Because you are my God. You are my rock." It's how you stand on the rock that matters.
"You are my confidence, for you are my strong refuge." See, God proved himself to David over and over and over that God was a solid rock on which he could stand. That God would be his help, his deliverer, his shield, his buckler, a strong fortress, the high tower. When you have a deep history with God like that, when God has proven himself to you over and over, you and God have a deep history because you have a deep faith. Because you know that God is the one who sets your feet on solid ground. Psalm 40:2, "He brought me up out of the pit, the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet on a rock making my footsteps firm." You need a strong footing in life.
Psalm 18 also, "It is God who girds me with strength." Now, this is a very important word. "It is God who does it. He girds me with strength." When you stand on that rock, this is what comes. "It is God who makes my way blameless. He makes my feet like hind's feet and sets me on high places. You enlarge my steps under me, and my feet have not slipped." See how David gives here, he paints a beautiful picture, and he says that God makes his feet like hind's feet and sets him on high places.
Now, first you must know that a hind is a deer that is well known for being surefooted in difficult terrain. You go to Israel today, you see them even today. These bounding from rock to rock on what appears to be a sure rock face and yet they're surefooted bounding from rock to rock, climbing in high places. That is the point exactly. God makes you surefooted, the bearing of your life is set on that solid rock, but it's not just the fact that you got a rock. It's how you stand on that rock surefooted in times of difficulty. He gives you strength.
He gives you confidence that He will be your help, your deliverer, your shield, your buckler, your strong tower, that he will rescue and say, your strong confidence is how you stand on that rock. That surefootedness causes you to walk on high places. See, the idea of walking on high places is to walk victoriously and to walk in ways that are higher, higher than the world. Because if you walk in God's ways, then you will walk higher because God's ways are higher. Isaiah 55:9, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Now, we read earlier that David wrote, that it is God who girds him with strength, but not only physical strength. David surely had great physical strength, but not only that, but strength of faith, strength of character. It is God who makes my way blameless, for those who dwell on that rock of habitation, then will know that God's high and holy character is at work in this one. The one who abides on that rock. It's not just that you have a rock. It's how you stand on it. This one who has this rock of habitation to which he may continually come will have something of God's high and holy character at work in him and thus you'll walk in high places. You see this in David's life.
There are so many examples that we could give, but perhaps the one that is very poignant is, remember the time when David was fleeing Jerusalem? His son Absalom had betrayed him and a great conspiracy arose. Absalom was threatening to bring a great army to bear against Jerusalem. David had to flee. There David was fleeing Jerusalem and crowded people with him all sad, grieving.
David had ash, dust on his head as he's leaving. Out comes a man, a distant relative of Saul from the house of Saul, to cast insults at David. He walked along with David on the other side of the gully of course, but there he threw insults at David and threw dirt clods at David. "Get out. You deserve all this trouble, you man of bloodshed, you get out." David's general with him Abishai, you can imagine his general, like this anger arising in the general, like, "How dare you say such things about the king."
Abishai said to David, "Shall I dispatch him?" David said, "No, let him curse, let him curse. Perhaps God will see and have mercy." David just kept on walking, and Shimei just kept on casting his insults. Later, the story of course unfolds that Absalom is defeated, and David now is returning back to be restored as the rightful king of Israel. As he crosses the Jordan, out comes the same Shimei, comes to David, bows down low, very humble.
"I was wrong, David. Have mercy. I was wrong. I spoke wrongly when I spoke earlier. Please have mercy." Abishai there was next to David, "Hmm, shall I dispatch him?" David said, "There's been enough dying today. No. Go in peace, my friend. There's been enough dying today. Go in peace." You've got to love high and holy character like that. It is God who makes my way blameless. To walk in high places means that you walk higher than the ugliness of this world. This is an ugly world. Anybody agree with me? It's ugly, but don't you walk in it in a manner that is ugly. Walk in a manner that is higher.
There is something of God's high and holy character at work. When you abide on that rock of habitation. Something high and holy is at work. Walk in high places. You will see God is your help, your deliverer, and He will meet you there in your insufficiency, and He will give you strength when you need it. I was thinking of the story, many of you know the story of Corrie Ten Boom and her family who were Christians living in Holland and felt compelled to risk all to save Jews. Hide them in their home. One day knowing that likely it was only a matter of time, one day Corrie Ten Boom said to her father, "When that time comes, would I have the strength to face it?"
Her father said, "Oh, God will give you the strength. When you need the strength, God will give it to you." Now, that's a very appropriate illustration, particularly in the times in which we are living today. We are seeing antisemitism arise like we would never have thought it before. Interestingly, I was at a conference for those who stand and support Israel, many, many thousands at this gathering. A famous Jewish speaker was addressing the crowd, a crowd of Christians. This Jew said an interesting thing. He said, "When a Jew meets a Christian, he often will ask himself a question."
A Jew sees a Christian, and he wonders in his mind, he says, "If something like the Holocaust happens again, and Jews fear for their lives, this one, this Christian, would he hide me?" When a Jew meets a Christian, he has to ascertain a thought about this one, "Would he be one that would hide me?" Then he said, "And I know in my heart of hearts that every person in this room would hide me." Oh, what a moment. Tears flowed as the crowd stood on their feet giving a thunderous standing ovation. There is something of God's high and holy character at work in those who stand steadfast on that rock. God's high and holy character is at work in them. Amen.
II. The Lord is Your Keeper
Can we give the Lord praise and glory and honor? Exactly right. Then notice what he says next, that the Lord is your keeper. The final section of the Psalm speaks to the promises of God being your keeper, your protector, surrounding you with songs of deliverance. The word keeper in Hebrew can mean to guard, to protect, to watch over, to attend and care for like a shepherd attending to his sheep. The context here, of course, is that those who lift up their eyes, "I lift up my eyes to the mountains. Where does my help come from?" "My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth." One of the great aspects of that help is that the Lord is your keeper, your protector.
A. The Lord is your shade on your right hand
Then it says very interestingly, "And the Lord is your shade on your right hand." Notice verses 5 and 6, "And the sun will not smite you by day nor the moon by night." Now, the Lord being your shade over your right hand is the same word that we saw in Psalm 91, that very famous Psalm 91, where it says, "He who dwells in the shelter the most high will abide in the shadow of the Almighty shadow."
Same word. "He who dwells in the shelter the most high and abides in the shadow of the Almighty will come under the protection of the king." The shade on your right hand, which is the hand of strength, means that the protection of God over the endeavors, over the moves and the actions, you live and move and have your being under the shadow of the Almighty. That's what it means.
That God overshadows with His protective hand on your life. You live and move and have your being under the shadow of the Almighty. Now, the sun by day and the moon by night speak of the distresses and the difficulties that come, like the heat of the day or the cold of the night. The protection and help of God to abide for those who abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
B. The Lord keeps your soul
Then notice where he then says, "And the Lord will keep your soul, the Lord will guard your going out, and you're coming in from this time forth and forevermore. The Lord will keep you from all evil." This is very interesting. The phrase going out and coming in is a common Hebrew expression of the time that refers to your everyday endeavors of life. The the going out and the coming in, the flow of life, and all that you do in all the endeavors of life are overshadowed by the hand. The daily matters of life come under the protective keeping hand of God.
Notice Deuteronomy 28:1-6, "If you will diligently give heed to the Lord your God, then blessed shall you be in the city, blessed shall you be in the country, blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out." Then it says, "And God will keep your soul and protect you from all evil." Now, in other words, there is spiritual protection for those who dwell in the shadow of the Almighty. You come under the protection of the king.
Now, one of the ways I think we could illustrate this well was, remember that before Israel entered into the promised land, they dwelt on the other side of the Jordan there, and the king of Moab of that area, Balak was very afraid of this vast camp of Israel with millions. He hired Balaam to bring a curse. "You're going to bring spiritual battle into this." He hires Balaam, who was well known to be a man acquainted with the spiritual realm and to bring a curse.
I'm going to use spiritual battle now, but Balaam said, "Be aware that I can speak no farther than what God puts in my mouth. I will go with you, but be aware, I will speak no farther than what God puts in my mouth." Balaam comes, Balak brings him up to a high place where he can oversee all of the camp of Israel, but instead of a curse comes a blessing. Balak became angry. "I hired you to curse, and here you bring a blessing." "Did I not say I cannot speak any farther than what God puts in my mouth?"
He brings him to another place, Mount Pisgah. By the way, I've been there, it's amazing view over all of the valley. There he saw the vast camp of Israel. Again, instead of a curse comes a blessing. He brings him to another peak, overseeing, perhaps a curse could come from that place. But this time, instead of a curse came the greatest blessing of all. "Oh Israel, great kings will come from you, and in fact, the great king who will reign over all the earth will come from you, and the king will arise. That will be over you, O Moab," and Balak clapped his hands in fury. "I hired you to curse in these three times, you have blessed."
Numbers 23:8, "How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And How shall I denounce whom God has not denounced?" For those who dwell in the shadow of the Almighty, come under the protection of the king. By the way, that is not only a great truth for Israel. That is a great truth for all those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, for those who have taken hold of the promises of God given to you through his son Jesus Christ, who have trusted God for salvation, for the forgiveness of sin, for the promise of eternal life, have been brought into a relationship by which God is your Father.
You are a son, you are a daughter by adoption. You come into the that relationship to the Almighty as your Father. You have surely come under the protection of the king for you're a son now, you're a daughter now, He is your Father now. 1 John 5:18 says, "And he who is born of God keeps him-- Literally, he who is born of God, God keeps this one, and the evil one cannot touch him."
You have come under that protection. Not only that, but it's also true that those who honor God, those who have faith to look to God to be their help, their protector, their deliverer, their shield, and their buckle, those who dwell in the shadow of the Almighty will find that their soul is kept from evil because the light of the glory of God is greater than the darkness of this world.
When you abide there on that rock of habitation, when you abide under the shadow of the Almighty, God's glory dwells there. That glory will fill your soul with the presence of the light, of the glory of God. The light of the glory of God is greater than the darkness of the world. There is a great victory that arises in those who know how to stand on the rock like that. 1 John 4:4, "For you are from God, little children, and have overcome them for greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." That is a great truth. True for anyone who has received the Lord Jesus Christ, "For greater is He who is in you than greater than he who is in the world." Amen.
Let's give the Lord praise. Exactly right. Amen. Oh Lord, we are so thankful for the great truths that you have given to us in this wonderful Psalm. We lift up our eyes. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth. You are my rock, my fortress, my help, my deliverer, my shield, my buckler, my strong tower. I will dwell on this rock and I will not be moved. It's not only that you have a rock, it's how you stand on this rock that matters. It's how you stand on it that matters.
Church, how many would say to the Lord today, "You are my rock of habitation and I will stand surefooted on this rock, strength of faith arises when you declare it. I will stand on this rock surefooted in my faith and I will not be moved for greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world and the light of the glory of God is greater than the darkness of this world. I will stand on this rock and I will not be moved. It's not just that you have a rock. It's how you stand on that rock." Church, how many would declare that?
Would you just raise your hand as a declaration of the Lord, of saying, "I will stand surefooted of faith in this rock and I will not be moved." Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world. Oh Lord, let the light of the glory of God fill and overwhelm my soul. There I will dwell on that rock pleasantly, beautifully, for you are my rock and I will not be moved. Oh Lord, we give you glory and honor for what you are doing in us now in Jesus' name and everyone said, can we give the Lord praise and glory and honor? Amen. Amen. Amen. Church, we're going to worship. Worship is--