Daily Bread

I lift up my eyes to the hills;
from where is my help to come?
My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth.
He will not suffer your foot to stumble;
he who watches over you will not sleep.
Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord himself watches over you;
the Lord is your shade at your right hand,
So that the sun shall not strike you by day,
neither the moon by night.
The Lord shall keep you from all evil;
it is he who shall keep your soul.
The Lord shall keep watch over your going out
and your coming in,
from this time forth for evermore.

This Psalm is called a 'Psalm of Ascents' and was sung or read by those on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, it has therefore been adopted as 'The Traveller's Psalm' and traditionally used by those setting off on long voyages. For example, it was a favourite of the famous African missionary and explorer David Livingstone.

The psalm opens with the phrase, "I lift my eyes to the hills," and this evokes the image of someone, standing on the plains, looking with both respect and trepidation at the mountains to which they are going to journey. These hills of adventure may contain unseen dangers but also unknown treasures.

I have climbed a few hills in my time, whether a dry, rocky escarpment in Australia to seek out Aboriginal drawings, a windswept munro in Scotland adorned with a stone cairn, or a tropical rainforest with waterfalls and showers of butterflies. Each journey, I remember looking and thinking, "I'm heading up there!" with a sense of trepidation and excitement.

The hills to which we lift our eyes are also a metaphor for our own future that stretches out before us. We know not what lies ahead. We know that the journey won't always be easy. There will be hidden valleys to navigate, rivers to cross, paths to find, untrodden paths to lay, rocky outcrops to climb, and thick green forests, but there will also be pleasures — vistas we could never have imagined, experiences we only dreamed of, and other treasures for the heart and eye.

When you are about to embark on a life journey — whether geographical or metaphorical, a physical journey or a new project, job, or venture — try and remember Psalm 121. Read it, and through it may the Lord bring you comfort and strength.

Holy God
My future stretches before me,
and there is so much that is unknown.
Therefore, may I step forward boldly,
remembering to treat the hills with respect and reverence,
trusting that you will watch over me, by day and by night.
From this time forth and for evermore.