Welcome to Day 106 of the “Manna for the Mind” devotional! This series is about taking scripture passages (typically 1-3 verses) and building our understanding of their teachings through their context and connecting scripture. I believe that doing this helps us understand how to be the type of human that God created us to be.
Today’s passage is Psalm 121:1-2. We’ll discuss the source of our help.
| AMP | NLT | MSG |
| 1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills [of Jerusalem]— From where shall my help come? | 1 I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? | 1-2 I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains. |
| 2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. | 2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. |
What does the term “help” mean here? Help is the Hebrew noun ezer (ay’-zer), meaning a help or helper. This specific context refers to help and succor. According to the Oxford Dictionary, succor (a word I have just heard used today) means assistance and support in times of hardship or distress. It comes from the Hebrew verb azar (aw-zar), meaning to surround, protect, or aid.
The psalmist looks to the heavens to find the source of protection and aid, knowing it comes from God.
| AMP | NLT | MSG |
| 7 We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; The trap is broken and we have escaped. | 7 We escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap. The trap is broken, and we are free! | 7 We’ve flown free from their fangs, free of their traps, free as a bird. Their grip is broken; we’re free as a bird in flight. |
| 8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. | 8 Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth | 8 God’s strong name is our help, the same God who made heaven and earth. |
God always provides a way out because he created everything. There’s nothing that puzzles him, and there’s nothing that wears him down. We know God will provide a way out when we find ourselves in a tempting situation. We don’t have to be overwhelmed in those moments, for we know our source of aid and protection will guide us on a righteous path away from sinful temptation.
David compared our experience to a bird escaping the hunter’s trap. We can turn to the Creator for help in our time of need because he is on our side. He may not support our plans and schemes but is for us. God provides a way out when things go sideways; we need only to trust him. God is for us. We can create what we feel is the best plan for our lives, but God will have the final say, and we need to trust it. It may hurt. It may sadden us. Yet, the long-term plan God has created for us will be the most successful path in our lives.
Father God, thank you for being our help, aid, and protection source. How we solve the problem may work in the short term, but we know your plans are the best. Help us embrace those plans and live into that trust as we go through our lives. It’s in your name, we pray. Amen.
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