“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
Psalm 121:1
Growing up in the hills of West Virginia was an exciting time in my life. You see, for my early life, I thought that everyone lived in the comfort of surrounding hills. These hills provided so much for us including spring water for our homes, a protection from the wind, wood for building homes and barns, and mountain meadows for grazing cattle and sheep. The hills defined us and gave us boundaries.
This was all I knew until my parents took the family on a vacation to the mid-west. At first, I did not like the flat land at all. I missed the hills of home. After some time, I grew to find beauty in this new environment, but I still missed the security of the mountains.
As I grew in stature and understanding, my focus on the hills changed. Like the psalmist, who pointed out where our true source of help comes from, I changed my thinking and focused on the Creator rather than the creation. “My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth”. (Psalm 121:2)
The hills of West Virginia are still very much a part of my life, but now my focus and help in life comes from the Lord. Sometimes we have a tendency to try to make it through the troubles of life by relying on ourselves and human wisdom. We need to remember in our trying times that man’s wisdom is not our greatest strength. We need to turn to the Lord and trust Him with all our heart.
Enjoy the hills or whatever surroundings you grew to love, but remember your true help in times of trouble comes from the Lord of all creation. The remaining verses of this beautiful Psalm have so much promise for us. “He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”
Let us always remember where our strength and protection come from!!!
Grover Duling, CBC Executive Board
