Prayer for Travel Mercies-- a prominent theme in the "Songs of Ascents" of which  Psalm 121 is a prominent one, is that God is the Helper/Defender/Protector of His people.  The "Psalms of the Ascent" could have been a special collection of songs sung by returned exiles as they make their way to Jerusalem to celebrate the annual feasts. It would have been quite natural for their thoughts to be drawn to Mt. Zion, to the city of Jerusalem, and to the temple and travel mercies would have been on the pilgrim's minds. The people of Israel must have derived much comfort from this psalm while on their way to Jerusalem. It assured them that the Lord would keep them safe from harm both as they traveled to Jerusalem and as they returned home.  [1]

From Where Does Our Help Come? – The psalmist begins with the confession that God is “my help” (121:1-2). Lifting of the eyes reflects an attitude of humble petition and trust in God. The psalmist wants to ask for all the participants/readers/listeners: From where does my help come? As one commentator wryly remarks, “If our answer is , ‘from ourselves,’ the psalmist tells us to think again.”  Psalm 121 affirms liturgically if not confessionally, that God is the sovereign ruler of the cosmos and has a personal concern for the lives of humanity.

Pilgrims to the New Jerusalem-- The psalmist--by the terms "coming in" and "going out"--was thinking about more than just a journey to and from an earthly city. He had in mind especially the pilgrimage of a believer from earth to the New Jerusalem. He expresses his confidence that Jehovah will keep close watch over His people throughout their sojourn in this world till the day they reach their heavenly destination.  [2]

Read the psalm, and change ‘you’ or ‘your’ to ‘me’ or ‘my’. It will put your mind into the shoes of the original pilgrims.

What hymns most shaped your faith along your own faith journey? How has this psalm been nourishment to you through life? Any particular time when it provided you inner strength?

 

If I were to preach a sermon based on this Psalm, I would personalize it: explain how ‘you’ was originally meant for the people that went up to Jerusalem on their pilgrimage. But God’s promise is true today as much as it was back then! We are also pilgrims--on a journey toward heaven and God will help and protect us along the way. 

Note how life as a journey seems to be a favorite among writers—John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, but also modern literature’s emphasis on journey.

Shift to the New Testament and Luke/Matthew/Mark’s use of that metaphor to describe the relationship of the disciples to Jesus. “Following Christ” is a phrase that requires movement down a path.

Introduce Psalm 121 as a journey song par excellence. Walk through the psalm and point out why this psalm can be an important piece of their traveling gear. Any stories or personal experiences that you have on hand to underscore this psalm’s value?

Close with an appropriate re-reading / paraphrase / call and response centered in this psalm.

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[1] Thomas Schuetze in CLC Journal of Theology, A STUDY OF PSAMS 120-134 AND THEIR CORRELATION AS "SONGS OF ASCENTS" VOLUME 38 DECEMBER 1998 NUMBER 4 http://clclutheran.org/library/jtheo_arch/jtdec98.html
[2] ibid