INTRO.- ILL.- A Hollywood maternity shop received this note in the mail: "Dear Sirs, you have not yet delivered that maternity dress I ordered. Please cancel the order. MY DELIVERY WAS FASTER THAN YOURS."
Sometimes babies do come sooner than expected. Doctors can set the date, but God ordains the date! Doctors are human, just like you and me. Doctors can sometimes make mistakes, just like you and me. But God never makes a mistake.
How much did you weigh at birth?
ILL.- The heaviest baby I read about was born in Turkey 1961 and weighed 24 lbs. 4 oz. The lightest-weight baby that I read about was a girl and she weighed only 10 oz. She was 12 1/2 inches long. On her 21st birthday, she weighed 106 lbs.
Regardless of the weight of any newborn baby, they still require a lot of attention, a lot of affection and a lot of TLC!
Someone said, "A perfect example of minority rule is a baby in the home."
Babies sometimes make a lot of noise. They cause a lot of commotion, but yet, they can’t do much for themselves.
ILL.- Babies can eat, but only if you put the bottle in their mouths. Even then, you have to hold the bottle for them. Then after they stop eating, they can’t burp themselves. They need help.
Babies can’t clean up after themselves. They can’t change their own diapers. They can’t bathe themselves. They can’t dress themselves. And when they are first born, they can’t even entertain themselves. Babies require a lot of help in life.
Even as we grow older we still need a lot of help in life. At every age we need some kind of help. Even in our so-called years of maturity.
ILL.- Since my mother passed away I’ve been trying to do some repair work at her house. She has a ceiling fan in the living room which quit working. I took that thing apart 4 or 5 times before I figured out what was wrong with it and was able to repair it.
I really needed help with it, but help didn’t come. And I didn’t know where to get any help. I’ve been working on a three-way electrical switch in her home and I haven’t been able to fix it yet. I NEED HELP! We all need help at various times and in various ways in our lives. Knowing where to get the right help can be something of a problem.
David said, "I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."
ILL.- James A. Garfield was our 20th president. He was shot to death on Sept. 19, 1881. He only lived to be 50 years old. But had it not been for help from on high he might not have lived that long. As a 16-year-old, Garfield worked on a canal boat named the Evening Star. When he went on duty one midnight, it was raining as he took his turn at the bow. When he picked up the rope on deck and began to pull on it, the rope caught and wouldn’t budge. He gave it another pull, and the rope freed itself and Garfield fell back and into the dark waters.
As he plunged beneath the waters of the canal, Garfield held on to the rope. Suddenly, the slack was gone. Much to his relief, the rope became taut in his hand. Scared out of his wits, young Garfield quickly pulled himself back on deck.
Later, back on the boat, he picked up the rope and threw it toward the crevice in which it had been caught the night before. Although he threw the rope many times, it never once caught in the crevice.
Concluding that God saved his life for a purpose, young Garfield determined to make something of himself. After quitting his job on the canal, he went home to Ohio. When he walked into his home, he found his mother on her knees, praying for his safety.
Could it be that Garfield had received some help from on high? If it’s good, it must be from God. We can only conclude this was a God-incident.
Brothers and sisters, we all need help in life. We all need divine help in life. And I think perhaps many times we have received God’s help and didn’t even realize it. We all are spiritually insensitive.
There are just some things that we human beings can’t handle by ourselves. If anybody seemed to know this, David, the Psalmist, did.
Ps. 9:9 "The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble."
Ps. 34:4 "I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears."
Ps. 34:18 "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
Ps. 40:1-2 "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit (ever been in one?), out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand."
Ps. 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."
PROP.- Our text in Ps. 121 tells about our help from on high.
1- the source of our help
2- the strength of our help
3- the scope of our help
I. THE SOURCE OF OUR HELP
Vs. 1-2 "I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."
Prov. 18:24 "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
Everyone needs a friend who sticks closer to them than a brother. Or perhaps closer than a family member.
ILL.- Former First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis died from lymphoma cancer. Joseph Kennedy, said of his aunt after visiting her, "She is very, very sick and it’s very sad." But he added, "There’s a lot of love in her room and in her apartment."
Sen. Edward Kennedy said, "Jackie was a part of our family and a part of our hearts for 40 wonderful and unforgettable years, and she will never really leave us. Our love and prayers are with John, and with Caroline and Ed and their three children."
Brethren, I think it’s great when family members come together in love and support, as in the case Jackie Kennedy. This is the way it should be for all of us. We should be here for one another! WE MUST BE HERE FOR ONE ANOTHER!
We should "bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." But our greatest help comes from the Lord! There are times when no one can help us but the Lord!
ILL.- A friend suggested to me one time, "Whenever you have a problem before you talk to me, talk to Jesus first."
Many of our problems in life would be solved a lot better and a lot quicker if we’d take things to the Lord first. If we would consider His Word and talk to Him about it first. Human counsel can sometimes be misleading or confusing. God’s Word is not confusing nor misleading.
ILL.- A blind man with a white cane stood at a busy intersection one day waiting for someone to help lead him across the street. It wasn’t long before another many appeared and the two began to talk. The second man took the first man’s arm and the two of them began walking across the street. Suddenly, there was the sound of tapping as the men walked across the street, but the tapping was more than usual, because both men were blind!
Sometimes it is the blind leading the blind! In a sense, we’re all blind and we need to be careful where we are leading and whom we are leading. But the Lord can see everything perfectly. He can see the beginning, the ending and the in-between. He is our greatest source of help in life.
ILL.- When young David stood before Goliath he didn’t call on his friends for help. HE CALLED ON THE LORD! He put his trust in the Lord!
ILL.- When the people threatened to throw Daniel in the lion’s den, he didn’t call for human help. HE CALLED OUT TO GOD IN PRAYER! And what did God do? He shut the mouths of the lions. It’s doubtful that any other human could have done that.
ILL.- Many years ago preacher Joseph Parker said to his congregation, "Some people have found fault with me. They say I am old-fashioned and out of date, always quoting the Bible. Well, let’s turn to science this morning. There is a poor widow here today who has just lost her only son in death. She wants to know if she will ever see him again. Science will give us the answer and I will put the Book away."
So he put his Bible away and asked the congregation, "According to science, will this woman see her son again? And where is the boy? And does death end all? What does science say?"
There was a long pause. Then Parker said, "We are waiting for an answer. This dear woman is anxious." Another long pause. Parker spoke again and said, "What? Science has nothing to say about death and dying. THEN WE MUST TAKE A LOOK AT THE BOOK."
With those words, Parker picked up his Bible and read several passages, "I shall go to him but he shall not return to me...the dead in Christ will rise...For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality..."
Then Joseph Parker closed his Bible, patted it affectionately and said, "WE WILL STICK TO THE BOOK."
The greatest source of our help in life is the Lord.
II. THE STRENGTH OF OUR HELP
Vs. 3-4 "He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber..."
ILL.- In 1972 I witnessed an American Olympic weightlifter lift 502 lbs. over his head. It was the last lift of the last night of the competition. The audience roared with their approval.
Physical strength is one thing, but spiritual strength is an entirely different matter. Besides, no human can touch our all-powerful Creator when it comes to strength. God simply spoke the stars into the universe. TALK ABOUT A DISPLAY OF STRENGTH! TALK ABOUT A DEMONSTRATION OF POWER!
God not only demonstrates His strength in the universe but also in our lives. HE WILL NOT LET YOUR FOOT SLIP.
ILL.- In the Garden of Eden Eve gave Adam some of the forbidden fruit and their eyes were opened, and they realized suddenly, for the first time, that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together to cover their nakedness.
Then God came into the Garden and asked, "Where are you?" Adam said, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." God asked, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"
AND HOW DID ADAM RESPOND? He said, "The woman you put here with me - she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. It’s the old "Adam and Eve syndrome." IT’S CALLED THE "BLAME GAME." And we all do it.
People blame others. "It was my parents’ fault." "That dumb boss I work for makes me crazy." "If it hadn’t been for that person who came into my life." "It’s that preacher’s fault that such and such happened..."
It’s funny to me how we can blame a preacher for our lack of spirituality but never anyone else, and certainly never ourselves. BUT IT IS STILL TRUE THAT WE ARE OUR OWN WORST ENEMIES! We just don’t like to admit to this.
Or there are times when some people might say, "God, why did you do this to me?" God always makes for a good scapegoat. After all, if God hadn’t created us the way we are, we wouldn’t be having this trouble. So it’s His fault that we make mistakes and sin.
James 1:13 "When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, NOR DOES HE TEMPT ANYONE."
God does not tempt us to do evil. God doesn’t want us to fail or fall. We are tempted by the evil one and by our own evil desires.
We human beings will slip. We will fall. We will fail. We will make mistakes. We will blow it. WE WILL SIN! But the Scripture reads, "HE WILL NOT LET YOUR FOOT SLIP."
Matthew 14:22-31
As long as Peter had his eyes on the Lord he was safe. He would not slip into the water. But when Peter saw the wind, he was afraid and began to sink.
Any time we take our eyes off the Lord and put them on the circumstances around us, we’re going to slip!
The Lord will not let us slip as long as we are watching Him, keeping our eyes on Him. How do we keep our eyes on Him? We study His Word. We sing His songs. We talk into His ears. We worship His majesty. We listen to His heart. We behold His beauty.
There’s another way to look at this text, "He will not let your foot slip." In the long haul of things, there is forgiveness. There is covering. There is grace.
Rom. 4:7-8 "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."
WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NEVER COUNT AGAINST HIM. That sounds very good to me.
Let me ring it in your ears once again: no one goes to their grave a perfect person! No one! But in Christ we go perfect or we go not at all! He will not let your foot slip!
He who watches over you will not slumber. That should be a reassuring thought. Some people are scared when they think of the Lord watching them, but I find great comfort in the knowledge that the Lord is watching over me. I know there is one person who loves me and understands me and is patient with me.
ILL.- A mother and her little four-year-old daughter were getting ready for bed. The little girl was afraid of the dark. When the light was turned out, the little girl caught a glimpse of the moon outside and asked, "Mama, is the moon God’s light?" She said, "Yes." "Will God put out His light and go to sleep?" "No, honey, God never goes to sleep."
The little girl replied, "Well, as long as God is awake, there is no sense in both of us staying awake."
Be assured, He will not let your foot slip. He who watches over you does not sleep. That’s a part of the strength of our help from the Lord.
III. THE SCOPE OF OUR HELP
v. 8 "The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."
The scope of our coverage from on high is great.
ILL.- Missionary Hudson Taylor had complete trust in God’s faithfulness. In his journal he wrote: "Our heavenly Father is a very experienced One. He knows very well that His children wake up with a good appetite every morning. He sustained 3 million Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years. We do not expect He will send 3 million missionaries to China; but if He did, He would have ample means to sustain them all."
The scope of our help, the extent of our help from on high is very great! God doesn’t put a limit on how much He will help us in life. He continues to pour out His goodness to us.
"The Lord is your shade at your right hand..."
These words may suggest God’s provision. He will provide shade for us. He will provide for us!
Prov. 3:9-10 "Honor the Lord with your wealth....then your barns will be filled to overflowing."
Matt. 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well."
Phil. 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
God has always met my needs even in my worst of times. When things looked bleak. When the finances were low or I was low.
ILL.- I was talking to Mike Carter just a couple of days ago and he said that when he and Carol got married 43 years ago he didn’t have a car nor a job. And look at where they are now!
God does provide for us and often, in spite of us. God provides in spite of who we are, what we are and how we are.
Ps. 121:7-8 "The Lord will watch over your life: the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."
God will provide for us "in the now" and "in the there." Here and now and there and then. The Lord has promised eternal life in Christ and He’ll pay off.
ILL.- FULL COVERAGE
I have an insurance policy
Written in the blood of the Lamb,
Sealed by the cross of Jesus,
Redeemable wherever I am!
The company will never go bankrupt,
It is bonded by God’s promise true;
It will keep every word of its contract,
Exactly what it says it will do.
I don’t have to die to collect it,
No premiums do I have to pay;
All I do is to keep God’s promise
And walk in His holy way.
No collector will ever come calling,
It was paid for on Calvary’s tree;
It insures me for living and dying
And for all eternity.
ILL.- Preacher John R. Rice had six daughters and sometimes they all would come at him at once for money. Money for this and money for that. Rice said to them one day, "Go easy! I am not made out of money. We will just have to get what we can afford and go without the rest." Rice said, "I never read in God’s Word where He ever told anybody, ‘Go easy! I don’t have very much.’"
The scope of our help from on high is very great. God is both giving and forgiving.
CONCLUSION---------------------------------
ILL.- A farmer once printed the words GOD IS LOVE on his weather vane. When someone asked the farmer if he meant that God was fickle as the wind. The farmer replied, "No, I mean that God is love whichever way the wind blows.
"If the wind blows from the cold north, God is love. If the wind is blowing out of the east, God is love. If the wind blows from the south, God is love. If the wind blows from the west, God is still love."
Regardless of how the wind blows for you; good, bad or otherwise, God is love. He loves you no matter what. He loves you in good times and in bad times! And you can trust Him to be there for you...to be your source of strength and your great provider!
