Psalm 121:1-5: [A Song of degrees.] I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. (1) My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. (2) He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. (3) Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. (4) The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. (5)
Discouragement surely brings heavy and weighty burdens upon our shoulders. It is the devil’s tool, not God’s. Christ promised us that His burden was light in Matthew 11:30. The Psalmist must have been experiencing such burdens of weight. So much so, he lifted his eyes toward the hills because he knew that his help was coming from there. The help was not in the form of soldiers or friends and family. Verse 2 clearly says that his help was coming from the Lord! God knows of the burdens and comes to the rescue.
Take comfort, oh Christian! This same God who will give you the help you need, created heaven and earth! If you have cancer, you would go to a specialist, an oncologist – you would not go to a heart specialist, would you? When your burdens overwhelm you, go to the One who is able to alleviate those burdens. Our God is our keeper, the Psalmist says. He is our Watch Tower! Be encouraged!
Discouragement – A Tool of the Devil
By: Author Unknown
Once upon a time it was announced that the devil was going out of business and would sell all his equipment to those who were willing to pay the price.
On the big day of the sale, all his tools were attractively displayed. There were Envy, Jealousy, Hatred, Malice, Deceit, Sensuality, Pride, Idolatry, and other implements of evil display. Each of the tools was marked with its own price tag.
Over in the corner by itself was a harmless looking, wedge-shaped tool very much worn, but still it bore a higher price than any of the others. Someone asked the devil what it was, and he answered,
“That is Discouragement.”
The next question came quickly.
“And why is it priced so high even though it is plain to see that it is worn more than these others?”
“Because, replied the devil, It is more useful to me than all these others. I can pry open and get into a man’s heart with that when I cannot get near him with any other tool. Once I get inside, I can use him in whatever way suits me best. It is worn well because I use it on everybody I can, and few people even know it belongs to me.”
This tool was priced so high that no one could buy it, and to this day it has never been sold. It still belongs to the devil, and he still uses it on mankind.
