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Where Does My Help Come From

July 15, 2018 Speaker: Eric Naus Series: For Every Season

Passage: Psalm 121

Community Group Questions: For Every Season - Psalm 121 - "Where Does My Help Come From"

Printing Instructions: To print these discussion questions for use in your Community Group or other study, first highlight the text, then right click and select "print" from the dropdown menu that appears.

Read Psalm 121 aloud as a group and then work through the following questions:

  1. Psalm 121 contains the heading “A Song of Ascents.” This heading notifies us that Psalm 121 was intended to be sung by the Israelites as they made the multiple-day pilgrimage from their home towns to Jerusalem for the annual feasts and festivals.  Jerusalem is situated at a high altitude, and therefore, one would “ascend” to the city and God’s temple.  How does this background help us understand Psalm 121 even better?  How does the journey metaphor of the Psalm apply to our lives?
  2. In verses 1-2, the Psalmist declares that he lifts up his eyes to the “hills” where his help comes from, namely, the help of the Lord who made heaven and earth. Ancient peoples believed the gods inhabited the hills and mountains, and so they would build idol shrines on the “high places.”  In contrast to these other hills, the Psalmist declares that his help comes from the God who is present on the hills of Jerusalem.  What does it mean for Christians today to “fix our eyes” on the Lord, especially in the midst of so many counterfeit gods in our culture that vie for our attention?  (see Colossians 3:1-4)
  3. Verses 3-4 remind us that God never sleeps, and therefore he is never tired or distracted in his care for us. How does this reality encourage you in the daily trials that you face?
  4. Verses 5-6 describe the Lord as our “keeper” (one who guards and attentively watches over). Have you ever thought of God as your body guard?  What greater risks would you take in your life if you were confident that God was constantly keeping watch over you? 
  5. Verses 7-8 speak of the comprehensive help that God offers us: he keeps us from “all evil.” He keeps our “going out” and our “coming in.”  He keeps us “forevermore”!  How does Jesus make the wonderful promises of these verses a perfect reality? (see Romans 8:31-39)
  6. Share with the group one area of your life where you need help right now (emotional help, spiritual help, relational help, financial help, etc.). In your situation, how does God himself offer the ultimate help you need?  What character attribute of God are you especially leaning on in your situation?

Prayer suggestion: Pray for one another’s needs, as expressed in question 6.  Ask God to be our great helper and our keeper in each of these situations.

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