When Life Feels Overwhelming - God Is Our Help

Where do you turn when life feels too much? Psalm 121 reminds us that God is our help.

When Life Is Too Much

My friend’s eyes filled with tears as she recounted the hardships she had faced over the last several weeks. One thing after another. Her circumstances each time only grew more dire. Her vulnerable eyes looked to mine, looking for hope, looking for peace, and words of wisdom. I longed to comfort my friend, but knew the only source of real comfort and wisdom comes from the Lord.

God is Our Help

Earlier that day, the Lord placed Psalm 121 in my path. I’d written it out in my journal, made notes in my Bible, and prayed over those words that the Lord had brought me. I quickly pulled out my phone and read her those eight verses.

“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.

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.”

Psalm 121: 1-8 NIV

As I read those verses to her, looking up, I saw her face slowly start to relax, her shoulders slowly descending from her ears to a more relaxed position. As I finished the last verse, I started sharing what I had written in my journal that day.

Where Does My Help Come From?

This unnamed psalmist wrote this psalm as “a song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem,” according to my Bible (Tada 702)¹. The poet cries for deliverance from his suffering in Psalm 120, yet the tone changes in this psalm, reminding us our help isn’t from within ourselves. Our help comes when we take our eyes off our circumstances and focus them upon the One who created us. The One who hung the stars in the sky and knows the number of hairs on our head.

Not only does this psalmist help us change our focus to the Creator, but also reminds us of the past. God doesn’t change; He is consistently present every day. He doesn’t sleep. Though we may sleep, God doesn’t waver. He doesn’t grow tired but remains with us always.

He Sees Me

In the margin beside verse seven, I noted Psalm 91, my go-to Psalm, reminding us that God protects us from harm, watching over us. Wherever we go, whatever our circumstances, God is watching over us. He doesn’t quit. He is “El Roi” – the God who sees (Genesis 16:13). While our circumstances and the storms of life can make us waver in our hope, clouding our vision of the goodness and hope of the Lord, God still sees us. He doesn’t waver; He doesn’t stop loving us or caring for us.

Today, if you are struggling with heavy circumstances, remember that the Lord who saw Hagar in the desert sees you too. Your help comes from the Lord when we release ourselves to Him, allowing Him into our circumstances. Rest knowing that God never rests; He is always protecting you. I encourage you today to refocus your thoughts from your circumstances to your Helper.

Lord, help me rest knowing You are watching over me, every step I take. Lord, help me continue to refocus my sights on You. Thank You, Lord, for never leaving me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Resources

↩︎

Tada, Joni Eareckson, editor. Beyond Suffering Bible NLT, Tutone: Where Struggles Seem Endless, God’s Hope Is Infinite. Tyndale House Publishers, 2016.

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