1st Session of the 7th Synod

MY HELP COMES FROM GOD

(An Extract from Bishop’s Charge delivered by the Rt Revd Dr. Olusola James Odedeji)

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Text: Psalm 121:1-2
The background of the Psalm
The superscription to this Psalm tells us that it is a “Song of Degrees.” That is, this is a Psalm that worshipers would sing as they made their way to Jerusalem, to participate in the three great annual feasts; Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. With that in mind, it is plain to see that this is a pilgrim s song. It tells of the dangers of the journey, and of the help God provides along the way. That is why some called it the Traveler’s Psalm. The Psalmist penned it when he was going abroad, and designed it, for a good man’s convoy and companion in a journey or voyage. But one thing is certain, wherever we are, at home or abroad, we are exposed to danger more than we are aware of; and this Psalm directs and encourages us to repose ourselves and our confidence in God, and by faith to put ourselves under his protection and commit ourselves to His care. This we must do, with an entire resignation and satisfaction.
Life is full of many dangers. The physical: disease, injury, accident, war, infirmity, or natural disasters. The economic: recession, depression, unemployment, downsizing, insolvency, debt, or theft. The spiritual: doubt, sin, evil, corruption, fundamentalism, extremism, or false teaching. What more natural question to ask than, “From whence shall my help come?”
In singing this Psalm, I. The Psalmist here assures himself of help from God (v. 1, v. 2). II. He assures others of it (v. 3-8). It is indeed A song of Degrees. As the travelers to Jerusalem were hiking up the mountain, with the sun bearing down upon them, with thirst parching their throat, with their legs aching, and with fatigue setting in, they knew that they needed help for their journey. But, they also knew that they needed help for the coming year. And when they looked for help, they were told to look beyond the mountains unto the LORD, their God. Their help didn’t come from the mountains. Nor did their help come from Jerusalem – their religious community. Rather, their help came from beyond Jerusalem and beyond the mountains. Their help came from the LORD.
Verse 1 is not a declaration of hope, but rather, it is a cry of despair. The Psalmist is telling us that danger is lurking in the hills above, and is waiting for an opportunity to pounce upon the weary traveler. When this happens, where can the pilgrim turn to for help? The Psalmist answers his own question, and we are reminded that the Lord is our help!
When the hills in our lives might look like the solution, and hiding place from our pain, or the source of our affliction, the Psalmist teaches us to look elsewhere for our help. We are to look beyond our human strength, capability and achievements, and with spiritual eyes look unto the Creator of all hills i.e. the Owner and Creator of our strength, capability and achievements. We are to boldly say “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2).
The source of our help is both personal and impeccably competent. Thus, we are not fret over the hills, nor try to hide in their fleeting shadows the Lord made heaven and earth. “The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth” (Psalm 97:5). Beloved, look to the Lord Who is eternal, all-powerful, and Who loves you.
The hills many look unto
Psalm 121 would have been sung as Israel approached “the hill of the Lord” to worship Him (Psalm 15:1; 24:3). But the mountain on which Israel met with God was not the only possible object of their attention. “The hills”  on which many nations worshiped their false gods  could have appeared as alluring havens of hope, or intimidating causes of concern.
Either way, the Psalmist’s appraisal of his situation reflects the place in which we all find ourselves. Our help comes only from the Lord Who made all the hills (Psalm 121:2). All other hills we see before us in life can neither rescue us, nor deliver us.
There are many things which can stand as hills to us today. They are seen as the means of help and comfort in this world. Many people believe, as long as they have them, they are safe and protected. But reality has proved them wrong.

These hills, though not limited to these, include the following;

• The Hill of Money
• The Hill of position
• The Hill of connection and god-fatherism
• The Hill of Knowledge.
• The Hill of achievements and Prospects.
• The Hill of charms and occultism.

THE HILL OF MONEY: 

Money is good. Whoever desires to live in this world with ease needs money. Without money, life could be miserable on this side of eternity. Even in the Church, the place of money cannot be over emphasized. Some people have changed the logo now from-Money as the bicycle of evangelism to jet of evangelism. Whether bicycle or jet, this is just telling us how important money is to the spread of the Gospel. But as good as money is, it cannot be looked upon as the saviour and giver of help. There are some situation of life, money cannot help or proffer solution.
The reason money often seems to be the strong tower and confidence of people is that, it does actually rid life of many trials and tribulations. It keeps you warm with clothing, nourished with food, sheltered, protected from the tyranny and abuse of others. The list could go on and on. But herein lies the deception: While money can provide many things, it guarantees nothing. Your wealth can be taken away just as easily as it was given – Job is the classic example of this (Job 1&2). Only God remains the same from age to age. Only He provides lasting protection, nourishment and care. And most importantly, wealth cannot be taken beyond the grave. Upon death, every man will stand barren and empty before the throne of God. Only those who are clothed in the righteousness of Christ will be spared from eternal torment. Only those who put their trust in God will truly know what it means to be rich, and to have their portion filled forever.
THE HILL OF POSITION: 

Some people erroneously believe that there are unique positions one can reach and there will be no troubles in life. They eye political positions like being a President or Governor. In the religious cycle, it is all about being a Bishop. To academic world, people covet the position of Vice Chancellor, and so on and so forth.

Beloved, you only need to ask His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, what he is passing through. Take a walk to Alausa, meet with Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, our Governor, and ask what time do he goes to bed. As your Bishop, I have my own story to tell. There is no position without its problems. Every opportunity attracts responsibilities, and when responsibilities come, they come with lorry load of worries, anxieties and pain. That is why anyone who lifts his or her eyes to the hill of position, as where the needed help can come from, cannot but be disappointed. The higher you go the hotter it becomes.
Therefore, do not trust your position, the power or authority at your disposal. It will not last. Someone was once in that position and you can’t be the last. When you are “Important” in the people s eyes, everyone is your “Friend” But once you don t benefit their interests, you won t matter, Arnold Schwarzenegger said. Thus, our sure help cannot come from this Hill.
THE HILL OF CONNECTION AND GOD-FATHERISM:

 One man once said-‘whoever does not have connection in this country is at the mercy of all’. Another man told me “whoever does not have god-father, cannot go far”. Yes I agree, but as good as the hill of connection and god-fatherism may look colourful, it cannot provide a lasting help. This is because Man would always be Man. The heart of man is desperately wicked, who can know it. The one who lifts you up can bring you down. The day you offend the man, is the day the help stops. We are to lift up our eyes beyond this hill. It is not the real source of help. For, if God would not help you, who can? Bible says vain is the help of man-Psalm 108:12.
THE HILL OF KNOWLEDGE: 

No doubt, Education gives us knowledge of the world around us, and changes it into something better. It develops in us a perspective of looking at life. It helps us build opinions and have points of view on things in life. It is said, “Knowledge is Power”. This quote has versatile shades of application and holds good in several contexts. Knowledge has enabled us make all the advancements in the science and technology spheres, that we have been able to achieve. It has made us far more capable, superior and sophisticated beings on this earth. Knowledge is the primary factor that clearly distinguishes the human race from the animals. This is to tell us how important knowledge is. Nevertheless, in recent times, we have seen how futile human knowledge is. On a daily basis, there are new discoveries that put on hold, former ones, which man has depended on for ages. It shows knowledge is time bound and limited. It shows man cannot see beyond his two eyes. Many principles and philosophies we are holding on today are what the incoming generations are going to fault, and produce better ones. This suggests to me that Knowledge is just “the best you think you know now’’. The only Mr. Know-It-All is God. Thus, He alone can be approached for enduring help.
THE HILL OF ACHIEVEMENTS AND PROSPERITY: 

When you look back and see what you have achieved in life, you can be tempted to say, ‘Yes, My hands have got me all these’, like the rich fool in Luke 12:13-21. Past achievements, if caution is not taken, have a way of assuring us of the power in us and ability to cause it to happen again without any credence to God. The challenge in this is that, anytime we look unto this hill, we are tempted to be proud and arrogant. And just as King Solomon noted, pride goes before fall – Pro 16:18. Thus, instead of this hill to give us the expected help, we end up in offending the Lord of the universe. Knowing fully well that it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hand of the living God- Hebrew 10:31.
THE HILL OF CHARM AND OCCULTISM:

There is power and there are powers. Charms and occultism are one of the hills people look unto for help and salvation. Many people are lured into occultism in search of protection and money. They are given assurances of safety and security, with the hope to live above board. Little do they know that Devil is not a Father Christmas, before he gives a man a pen, he would have collected a car instead. While they may have the money and fame, they are robbed of peace of mind, joy, good home and healthy life, and at last, end their lives in calamity. We must not be deceived, check those herbalists who prepare rituals for money, they themselves are poor and wretched. Why? Because they know the end of ill-gotten wealth is always brutal. The truth is, this type of hill is not where our help can come from.
POINTS TO NOTE ABOUT HELP
There are many definitions as regards the word “Help’’. But I am going to limit myself to the submission of Merriam-Webster Dictionary which puts it as: to do something that makes it easier for someone to do a job, to deal with a problem, etc; to aid or assist someone; to make something less severe; to make something more pleasant or easier to deal with; to give (yourself or another person) food or drink.
Having known this, let us engage ourselves with the following points about help.

• Everyone born of flesh needs help in life. No one born of flesh is above help. We all need help in life. Whether you are rich, poor, short, tall, thin, fat, intelligent, dull, fair, dark, woman or man, married or unmarried, handsome, beautiful or ugly; you cannot be self-sufficient. We are limited in power and resources. That is the nature of man in us. Therefore let us face these realities:
• No one is self-sufficient- we all have limited resources.
• No one is almighty- we all have limited power
• No man is omnipresent – only God is.
• No one is problem-free. It only differs from man to man.
• Man is subject to the rule of nature.
• Life is full of uncertainties that one cannot but be helped to overcome
• Every day is a day of need Matt 6:34.
• Man is not reliable, you cannot even trust yourself. Just as you have the tendency to fail, everyone can fail as well. Sometimes when someone disappoints you, it is not a deliberate attempt to hurt a friend, but as a result of human limitation and incapability. We carry a fallen nature; a nature cursed by God, subjected to vanity and later becoming dust. It is therefore of a great worth to know that we all need help.
• The world we live is in a serious mess. It is a corrupt world. The ground which was once blessed by God to give us food, has been placed under curse as a result of our forefather’s disobedience. As if that was not enough, our own deliberate sinfulness and wickedness have made the world very un-conducive. We hear of kidnapping, robbery, rape etc every day. Money meant for all is being siphoned by a few people who are in power, thereby leaving the rest into abject poverty and uncertainties.
• Our present state of life is a product of accumulative help we have received. We need to remind ourselves that someone took delivery of us, from our mother’s womb. Someone was responsible for our first bath, we were not the one that named ourselves, we were not the one that took ourselves for immunization, we were not the one that took ourselves to school and we were not the one that sew the clothes we wore to Primary schools. Someone was responsible for the funding of our studies; even in school, we were not the one that taught ourselves, etc. The list is endless. It is absolutely a matter of pride or ignorance when anybody claims to be self-made. We are all product of help. Thus;
• We have all enjoyed both human and divine help
• Without help, we are nothing. No one is self-made.
• There are many sources of help, but there is only one SURE Source. As I noted this before now, there are many hills to look upon, there are several sources of power and assistance, but the enduring one is the one from above. Therefore, we must acknowledge these:
• That the sure sourceof help is God. If God would not help us, no one else can help you.
• Any help from man is engineered by God. Psalm 127:1

WHY YOUR HELP MUST ONLY COME FROM GOD
The Psalmist provides the following answers-Because He is the Maker of heaven and earth-v2. 
By this, he evaluated the ability of the One he was trusting to help him- He is not just anyhow person, but One who is so powerful to have created the whole earth and the heaven above. The One Who helped His people out of the hands of all their enemies (Pharaoh, Goliath etc), and out of all their troubles and afflictions; He helped them in the performance of duty, in the exercise of grace, in bearing the cross, in fighting the Lord s battles, and on their journey; He helped them to all blessings, temporal and spiritual; to all needful supplies in the wilderness , and this help He gave was quick and present, suitable and seasonable, was sufficient, and sometimes with, and sometimes without means; and they had great encouragement to expect more from Him. He was able to give it, being the Maker of heaven and earth; for what is it that He cannot do? And besides, He has promised to help them, and He is faithful that has promised.
By this it shows God is bigger than our troubles-v.2. God told Jeremiah in Jeremiah 32:27- Behold,’ I am Jehovah, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?’ Look at the confession of Paul in Col 1:16 – ‘He made all things. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things were created through him and for him’
David also exalted Him as the ‘all in all’ in 1 Chronicles 29:11, saying– ‘Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all’
Since He is the Maker of heaven and earth, then, He can make all things new again. Listen to God in Isaiah 43:18-19‘Forget the former things;do not dwell on the past.See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?I am making a way in the wildernessand streams in the wasteland’

• Because only Him can establish you-v.3a For He will not allow your feet to slip-
• David remembered how He established him above all attempts of king Saul- 1 Samuel 19:11-18
• David remembered how God established him above Goliath – 1 Samuel 17:43-50. So he made this confession of certainty about God- He will NOT let your foot to slip even if you are climbing the most dangerous mountain of life.
• The year is full of many things to slip our foot, but with God, we shall remain unmoved.
• God does not sleep or slumber, He is the only reliable Helper. The Lord, unlike man, is a reliable source of help. He gives sure footing when the path is narrow and treacherous. He is always watching. He never slumbers nor sleeps like human sentries. Recall that Elijah accused Baal of sleeping when he challenged Baal’s prophets on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:27). God never sleeps, slumbers, or naps. God is awake when we are asleep. When we find ourselves in the middle of difficult circumstances, we should turn things over to God when we go to bed because He will be awake all night, anyway! We must learn to trust the Lord in the brightest day and in the darkest night

The following facts are undeniable about life;

• There is a limit to human help. Man can sleep off but God would never sleep nor slumber
• Man can get tired and irritated on your case, but God would not.
• Sometimes, man’s help is a bait to enslave. Watch out! But God’s help is eternally good.
• Because He is the Almighty- all things are answerable to Him– Psalm 97:5. This implies that God has all the might He needs to do anything He wants to do. That is;
• He Cannot Be Stopped From Accomplishing His Purposes-Daniel 4:35 says, “The Most High does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand.”If God purposes to do a thing, He cannot be stopped by any power in the universe
• He does whatever He pleases-the Almightiness of God implies that He does whatever He pleases. Psalm 115:3, says “Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases.” In Isaiah 46:9-10 God says, “I am God and there is none like me . . . saying ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose’.” GOD ALMIGHTY is not like us.
• His Power Is Superior to All Other Powers-He is the Creator of heaven and earth (Genesis 14:19), Builder of everything (Hebrews 3:4), the King of heaven (Daniel 4:37), God of all mankind (Jeremiah 32:27), and the Eternal King. (Jeremiah 10:10). He is the only God (Jude 1:25), the Eternal God (Genesis 21:33), the Everlasting God (Isaiah 40:28), and Maker of all things (Ecclesiastes 11:5). He is able to do more things than we can ask or even imagine (Ephesians 3:20). He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed and miracles that cannot be counted (Job 9:10). God’s power is unlimited
• Because only God is competent to handle your case- He is your Maker. He is the only Person Who has adequate knowledge about your life.
• Only the God Who created the husband and the wife and institutionalised marriage can ensure a blissful home
• Only the God Who brought you from your mother’s womb can secure you
• Only the God Who manages the world can manage your life properly
• Only the God Who fed 5000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish can meet your need.

When you trust Him, the following are guaranteed

• Sun shall not smite you by day6 meaning-
• Nothing on earth is permitted to work against you
• While others might be affected, you shall be exempted from the usual calamity of the year.
• The moon shall not work against you at night Meaning, nothing done in the night or in darkness can affect you.
• You shall be preserved from all evil.The preservation is not  just from one evil but ALL evils
• Your soul shall be preserved-2 Cor. 4:9
• Your going out and coming in would be in peace

Lessons from this passage

• Every year has its own worries, anxieties and calamity. New year, new challenges; new position new opposition- so you need God’s help to journey through. Problem is a universal entity. It comes anytime anywhere. No one is immune to challenges; Jesus faced His own and won by the help of God. There is no one who can escape the cross and get a crown. It is simply-No Cross, No Crown; No Pain, No Gain. However, to successfully carry the cross and bear the pain of life, we really need the help of God.
• Where are you lifting your eyes to? To the hill or to the Lord? Better to seek help from God than from man; from above and not from abroad. Human help cannot stand the test of time. If God would not help a man, human help is of no use. Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it. Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays in vain-Psalm 127:1.
• Put your whole trust in God, your result that will remove your insult. You must be resolute in your mind because those that trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion which cannot be moved, but abides forever. Psalm 125:1-2 ‘Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which abides forever. As mountains surrounds Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from time forth and forever. King Solomon advice us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding for God shall direct our path.  3:5-7.
• If the Lord be for us, who can be against us?- Rom 8:31- What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Take note that the word ‘if’’ which Paul uses does not denote doubt but a conclusion, a consequence or an affirmation signifying since.  The argument is this: God is so evidently forus that nothing or no-one can successfully be against us. There are plenty of opposing forces against the Christian, but nothing can successfully overthrow him because God is unto him like a mighty warrior.

Therefore, be calm, God is in charge. Psalm 124: 1-8.
“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,”
Let Israel now say
2 “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,
When men rose up against us,
3 Then they would have swallowed us alive,
When their wrath was kindled against us;
4 Then the waters would have overwhelmed us,
The stream would have gone over our soul;
5 Then the swollen waters
Would have gone over our soul.”
6 Blessed be the Lord,
Who has not given us as prey to their teeth.
7 Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers;
The snare is broken, and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth (NKJV)
How do we position ourselves for the help of GOD?

• Seeking God first:Matt 6:32-33-‘For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well’. If one places the pursuit of the Kingdom of God first, then material needs will follow without need for worry or anxiety. In essence, Jesus is cautioning us not to worry about these human concerns, and instead, place our greatest priority on seeking God’s Kingdom. The injunction – seek God s kingdom first, implies that we seek it first in point of time. It should be the first thing attended to. It is not merely to be admitted as of first importance, but should really be put first in point of time. The first thoughts of each morning should be given to it. And whenever God s word, or His providence brings before our mind the invitations or the claims of this kingdom, we are to remember that now is the accepted time.
• Living a life of obedience and holiness:Obedience to God proves our love for Him (1 John 5:2-3), demonstrates our faithfulness to Him (1 John 2:3-6), glorifies Him in the world (1 Peter 2:12), and opens avenues of blessing for us (John 13:17). We obey His commands, not because we have to, but because we want to, because we love Him. It was obedience that brought blessings on Abraham of which we are partakers today. Whoever wants to enjoy God must be ready to keep His precepts and wills. Listen to this;
• ‘If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:
• ‘You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in, and blessed when you go out’Deut 28:1-6 NIV
• Cultivate an attitude of gratitude to God:It s important to express gratitude. A simple “thank you” shows that we recognize we’ve received something that the giver was under no obligation to give. It guards against an attitude of self-centeredness and entitlement. And it contributes to an atmosphere of goodwill in the relationship. When there is no gratitude, the giver feels unappreciated, and may become discouraged and reluctant to give again. Gratitude is not only important in human relationships, it s also important in our relationship with God. David, the Psalmist, knew this. He took note of the wonderful things that God did and continually expressed appreciation for them. David said, “Let us thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of men! And let us offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!’ (Ps. 107:21 – 22).

1Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” One translation says “. . . this is the will of God . . . to you-ward.” (ASV)
A life of thankfulness reflects the glory of God. It s God s will “you-ward” that you give thanks in every circumstance. Thanksgiving is not so much for His benefit as it is for ours. It changes us. It helps us stay focused on God and His grace, and goodness and the exceedingly abundant riches we have in Jesus. It helps us remain mindful of Him, and to live our lives aright. And in the end, that s what honors Him the most. A life of thankfulness reflects the glory of God. So let s make it a point to have an attitude of gratitude. Like David, let s resolve: “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart: I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you . . . O Most High” (Ps. 9:12).

• Absolute Faith:Faith is necessary to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and if our faith is genuine and true, we will live a lifestyle characterized by righteousness, modelling the example set for us by Jesus Christ. We must believe in Jesus, we must have faith in Him, and we must trust Him! Calling ourselves Christians on its own won t do. Following the commandments step wise won t do. Reading the Bible diligently won t do. We have to take the Word into our hearts. When we make the transition from calling ourselves good Christians to being someone who is having a deep personal and intimate relationship with the Lord, then we can have the highest of joys, the deepest of peace, and receive the fullest measure of God s love and power each and every day of our lives
• Prayerfulness: Prayer is a two-way channel by which God and man communicate with each other. Communication is very vital for any relationship that is to pass the test of time. Through prayers Christians relate their minds, feelings, emotions, desires and inadequacies, while God communicates answers, assurance and His supremacy to the believers.

Note the following facts about Prayer

• The devil can only stop or prevent you from praying but cannot stop God from answering
• Nothing lies beyond the reach of prayer, except that wish lies outside the will of God
• Hurry is the death of prayer.
• Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctances, it is laying hold of His highest willingness
• Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer
• Prayer is the best channel of divine help. Nothing happens except a response to
• Through prayer we ask and receive our desires from God.  Jesus said in Mathew 7:7-8 that we should ask if we want to receive from God. And James, in James 4:2, said that we do not have because we have not asked. Therefore, whatsoever you desire from God you must ask in prayer first before you can receive it.
• Pragmatic Evangelism:God wants to redeem every human being from Satan, and reconcile him or her to Himself. As Christians who desire the help of God, we were created: to love Him, to be a part of His family, to become like Him, to serve Him, and to tell others about Him. Once we are His, God uses us to reach others for these five purposes. He saves us and then sends us out. Therefore we are not to keep silent. We are called to proclaim Jesus to the world in words and deed.
• Study and meditate on the Scriptures-Joshua 1:8 says-This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.To meditate simply means to reflect on the same thing over and over again, visualize it and let the meaning of it sink deep down into your heart. Meditation is a spiritual practice that is encouraged throughout the Scripture. The key is to draw on God’s wisdom found in the Scriptures. Concerns and problems flood our minds. There is always so much to do! But, necessity is laid on us to create time to the study and meditation of the word of God.

Conclusion
Psalm 121 teaches us to stay ourselves upon God as the God of power that is all-sufficient for us. David did so and found the benefit of it. His life teaches us that we must not rely upon creatures, upon men and means, instruments or arms of flesh: “Shall I lift up my eyes to the hills?’’ so some read it. “Does my help come thence? Shall I depend upon the powers of the earth, upon the strength of the hills, upon princes and great men, who, like hills, fill the earth, and hold up their heads towards heaven? No; in vain is salvation hoped for from hills and mountains, Jer. 3:23 .
I never expect help to come from them; my confidence is in God only. “We must lift up our eyes above the hills” (so some read it); we must look beyond instruments, to God.We must see all our help laid up in God, in His power and goodness, His providence and grace; and from Him we must expect it to come: “My help comes from the Lord;the help I desire is what He sends, and from Him I expect it in His own way and time. If He does not help, no creature can help; if he does, no creature can hinder it.’’ We must therefore, fetch our help from God, by faith in His promises, and due regard to all His commands.

At a time like this, our hearts must not be troubled, though we live in a society that is porous and full of vices, but we are assured that the Lord is our Keeper. The truth is, the Lord keeps the feet of His saints from falling: He will not suffer them to be moved out of the spiritual estate in which they stand; nor off the Foundation and Rock of ages, on which their feet are set, and their goings established; nor out of the house of God, where they are as pillars; nor out of His ways, where He upholds their goings; moved in some sense they may be, yet not “greatly moved”; their feet may be “almost” gone, and their steps “well nigh” slipped, and yet shall not fall finally and totally, or so as to perish. However, as we journey the rest of the year, our song must be- My Help Comes From The Lord!