Praise at Dawn · Day 25
Psalms 121–125 — I Lift My Eyes to the Hills
About 4 min read · 34 v.
Trusting God's watchful care on the journey.

Psalm 121
A Song of Ascents.
1I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from?
2My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
3He will not allow your foot to be moved. He who keeps you will not slumber.
4Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5The LORD is your keeper. The LORD is your shade on your right hand.
6The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
7The LORD will keep you from all evil. He will keep your soul.
8The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in, from this time forward, and forever more.
Psalm 122
A Song of Ascents. By David.
1I was glad when they said to me, “Let’s go to the LORD’s house!”
2Our feet are standing within your gates, Jerusalem!
3Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together,
4where the tribes go up, even the LORD’s tribes, according to an ordinance for Israel, to give thanks to the LORD’s name.
5For there are set thrones for judgment, the thrones of David’s house.
6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Those who love you will prosper.
7Peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.
8For my brothers’ and companions’ sakes, I will now say, “Peace be within you.”
9For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.
Psalm 123
A Song of Ascents.
1I lift up my eyes to you, you who sit in the heavens.
2Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD, our God, until he has mercy on us.
3Have mercy on us, LORD, have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt.
4Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scoffing of those who are at ease, with the contempt of the proud.
Psalm 124
A Song of Ascents. By David.
1If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, let Israel now say,
2if it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us,
3then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their wrath was kindled against us,
4then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul.
5Then the proud waters would have gone over our soul.
6Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as a prey to their teeth.
7Our soul has escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare. The snare is broken, and we have escaped.
8Our help is in the LORD’s name, who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 125
A Song of Ascents.
1Those who trust in the LORD are as Mount Zion, which can’t be moved, but remains forever.
2As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people from this time forward and forever more.
3For the scepter of wickedness won’t remain over the allotment of the righteous, so that the righteous won’t use their hands to do evil.
4Do good, LORD, to those who are good, to those who are upright in their hearts.
5But as for those who turn away to their crooked ways, the LORD will lead them away with the workers of iniquity. Peace be on Israel.
Scripture: World English Bible, Protestant Edition (WEBP) — eBible.org. Public domain. Rights
Reflection
An original reflection from Fall 7 Rise 8 Ministry
These are Songs of Ascents, sung by pilgrims climbing toward Jerusalem. Psalm 121 asks where help comes from and answers: from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. He watches your going out and your coming in.
Psalm 122 rejoices to go to the house of the LORD and prays for peace within its walls. Psalm 125 says those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved. Peace among God's people is worth praying for and working for.
Practice
Pray for peace in one relationship or community you belong to, and take one step toward peacemaking today.
Prayer
Lord, my help comes from You. Keep my going out and my coming in. Make me a peacemaker among Your people. Amen.
Study notes
Every Man’s Bible — supplied study notes — From the Every Man’s Bible study notes, as supplied to the ministry. Shown separately from the ministry’s original reflection.
121:1-8
God watches over us, placing us under his umbrella of protection. He guards us against the dangers that threaten to destroy our lives. Simply put, God exercises great care over us day and night.
124:1-8
Without God, there is no hope in the midst of life’s battles. If he is not fighting our battles with us, we will be overwhelmed by the spiritual forces arrayed against us. We should respond to God’s gracious help by praising him for what he has done for us.
Keep going
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