Fast Forward

“I raise my eyes toward the mountains.
Where will my help come from?
-Psalm 121:1 (HCSB)

The first image that comes to mind as I read this verse is a scene from Braveheart:

After the guards discover that they have secretly been married, William Wallace sends Murron away on his horse to escape, but does not realize that she is recaptured only seconds later. As they tie her up in the middle of the village, she desperately searches the horizon, still believing that he will come rescue her. But he doesn’t come, and they slit her throat.

I apologize for the morbidity, but I can vividly picture that look in her eye, and it haunts me. It is an emotion that cannot be precisely named – one that I am stricken with from time to time these days. Fortunately, the psalm continues, pointing to a rescuer far more wonderful than Wallace, or any man for that matter.

Beth Moore describes these verses from the perspective of a Hebrew pilgrim:

“He looks at the hills in the distance, wondering and probably even fearing what might be on the other side. He anticipates the long, arduous journey ahead and, like all of us, wishes he could arrive in the blink of an eye rather than feel the effects of life on the road. … You and I are pilgrims here, sojourners on a path with twists and turns, with hills that obscure our view and incite us to fear what may lie on the other side.”

If you’ve spoken to me recently, it’s likely that you’ve heard me mention my desire to press the “fast-forward” button on my life right now. I am a planner, and I don’t like not knowing what lies ahead. Trusting God does not come naturally for me. It is, however, comforting to know that I am not alone in this feeling, and I think that I’m beginning to understand that God is more concerned with the process than with the end result. The nice part is that he’s promised to help us out along the way:

“My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to slip;
your Protector will not slumber. …
The LORD protects you;
the LORD is a shelter right by your side. …
The LORD will protect you from all harm;
He will protect your life.
The LORD will protect your coming and going
both now and forever.”
-Psalm 121:2-3, 5, 7-8 (HCSB)