Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”
NL Daily Devotion for Friday, March 8, 2024
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Where do we look for our help? Personally, my first instinct isn’t always to look to “the hills”. I’m good at pivoting, making quick decisions, assessing situations and gauging the appropriate response. I trust my gut. And while years of spiritual practice have helped get my gut into better alignment with God’s direction for me, there are still plenty of times I really ought to have paused and looked to the hills before acting. I still look to other people to solve my problems sometimes. I still look to myself to “figure it out” and then get angry with myself when I just can’t seem to do it.
No matter who we are, where we live, or what we have, there are times we are going to need help. Big time help. The psalmist reminds us that the first place we should look for that help—not the last resort—is in God. Not that God will wave a wand and miraculously make everything better. But God can and will guide us to the right response to any crisis, no matter how large, if we ask for that help.
What was the last crisis I had to face? Where did my help come from?