“What’s a ‘Song of Ascent’?”
That’s what a member of my church recently asked me. She was reading Psalms and kept seeing that title at the beginning of certain Psalms.
Interestingly, whenever the Bible mentions that somebody went to the city of Jerusalem, it always says that they “went up to Jerusalem.” Today, when we say that we “went up” to a place, it is because the location was north of us.
But regardless of their starting point, everyone always went up to Jerusalem – because Jerusalem was up. Located on Mt. Zion in the hill country of Judea, visitors to the city had to go up in elevation.
The Songs of Ascent in Psalms are the songs pilgrims sang as they traveled to Jerusalem for major festivals and to visit the temple.
And that helps us understand one of the most famous of all the Songs of Ascent, Psalm 121.
“I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
As the pilgrims approached Mt. Zion, they could look up and see the Temple Mount – a visible reminder of where their help came from.
Because, as human beings, we so easily forget. We look down at ourselves. We stare at our bellybuttons, and we think, “I can’t do this.” We look around at all the problems that surround us, and we think, “I can’t handle this.”
And we’re right. On our own, we can’t.
Peter and the other apostles were fishing at night on the Sea of Galilee. A terrible storm came up. The boat was about to capsize. They thought they were going to die.
Then, in the deep darkness, they saw a figure walking toward them on the water. They were terrified. They cried out, “It’s a ghost.”
“It’s me,” Jesus told them.
“If it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to walk to you on the water.”
“Come on.” Peter started well, walking on water as he looked at Jesus. But then he looked around at the wind and the waves. He looked down at his feet, and he thought, “I can’t walk on water.”
And splash – he was right. On his own, he couldn’t.
Stop looking at your bellybutton. Stop looking at your feet. Stop looking around at all your problems.
Look up. Remember where your help comes from. Your help comes from the Lord, Jehovah, the “Great I Am.” He is the never-changing God who always keeps his promises, the God of full and free forgiveness. He is the all-powerful, all-knowing Creator of the universe. He is the God who watches over you every moment of every day.
He is the God who loves you so much that he gave his one and only Son – the God who died so that you might live.
If the all-powerful, all-knowing, neverchanging God loves you that much, what do you really have to fear? As the Apostle Paul asks, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
But we quickly and easily lose sight of that. We look down and around at all our troubles, and we forget. Remember the Songs of Ascent.
Look up. Your help is already there.
Pastor Andrew Schroer has been a pastor for over 25 years and is currently serving at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Edna, Texas. You can find his latest books, “364 Days of Thanksgiving” and “364 Days of Devotion,” on Amazon.com.
