Psalm 121

My name is Kelly Hornsby. I am a daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. I have walked with Jesus since I was a young girl and followed His call to be a teacher of first and third graders, a missionary to orphaned and abandoned children in Romania, and then to Fellowship Dallas. I have been on staff at Fellowship for 16 years in various roles and feel as though, at some time or another, I have been involved in just about everything. I love our church and the family it has provided me in Dallas.

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It is helpful to know that Psalm 121 is a Psalm of Ascent, or a “pilgrim song,” one of the songs the Israelites would sing on the long—and often dangerous—journey to Jerusalem to worship. This knowledge helps us understand why it begins with, “I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from?”

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When I think of lifting my eyes to the hills, I usually imagine a joyful moment when I find myself outside the city, looking at a beautiful hillside or mountain. For me, this is a relaxing opportunity to slow down and remember God’s character. Yet when I think of times in my life when I didn’t lift my eyes to the hills, but instead to the ceiling while crying out, “Where will my help come from?” I see that we all need pilgrim songs in our lives, because we are all on a pilgrim journey toward the Lord.

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The Psalms of Ascent are like songs of remembrance. They instruct my heart and mind in what is true about God’s character, whether I feel it or not. When reading this psalm in several versions of Scripture, I notice that the Lord is described as the one who “watches over us,” as our “protector,” and as our “keeper.” I love all of these, but if I am honest, there have been times when I have felt like He doesn’t see me, and times when I can’t see how what is happening could be His protection.

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It is in those moments that I need to sing this song of remembrance—this pilgrim song—again. And when I can’t, I need to be reminded by others on this journey with me that He is my keeper. He keeps my body, and more importantly, my soul, thanks to Jesus. He is the eternal keeper of my soul.

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I have had seasons of feeling unseen, but my Jesus does not slumber or sleep. He created the heavens and the earth. My foot does not move without His knowledge. He will keep my life, and evil will not have the final word in my life. Why? Because of the life, love, sacrifice, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

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I know that at times my difficulty comes because I have turned my heart away from Him, and it is then that I need to turn around in repentance and come back to the One who has been keeping my soul all along. At other times, difficulty comes simply because we live in a broken world. No matter what may have brought you to the place of crying out, follow the psalmist’s lead and follow your cry for help with the answer you know is true: “Your help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” Sometimes this is easier said than done. In those moments, we look to the pilgrims journeying with us on our left and right, and they get to remind us of who our God is, what His character is like, and who wins. He does, and He is keeping you forevermore. I am so thankful for God and for so many who have “sung” this song to me again and again.