Where Does Our Help Come From?
Scripture: Psalm 121
The Story Behind The Sound of Music
Julie Andrews played the role of a young nun named Maria in the classic film musical The Sound of Music. The 1965 film told the story of the Austrian Von Trapp family singers. While the story depicted in the film is heartwarming, it also took some liberties with the facts.
Maria really was a nun who was sent from the Abbey to the Von Trapp family. However, she was sent there to tutor one of the children, also named Maria, who was recovering from scarlet fever. Unlike the film’s dramatic timeline, Maria and Georg were not married the night before the Nazi takeover of Austria. They had actually been married eleven years earlier. And while the film shows seven children, the real family had ten.
Even the famous escape scene was different. The Von Trapps did not flee over the Alps to Switzerland. Their escape was far less dramatic. Georg was an Italian citizen, so he simply purchased train tickets to Italy for his wife, his children, and their priest, Reverend Franz Wasner, who was also their musical director.
Still, the family truly was under pressure from the Nazi regime. Georg refused to fly the Nazi flag over his home. He declined a naval command offered by the regime. He also refused a request for the family to sing at Hitler’s birthday celebration. Aware of the increasing dangers, and concerned for the safety of his family, he decided it was time to leave Austria.
After arriving in Italy, the family contacted an American booking agent who arranged a concert tour. They traveled to London, then to New York, and began performing in Pennsylvania.
Their initial six-month visitor visa eventually expired, so they traveled to Scandinavia for performances before returning again to the United States. It was during this second arrival that they experienced a moment of real tension.
At Ellis Island, when an agent asked Maria how long she planned to stay in the country, she did not give the answer listed on her visa. Instead she exclaimed with enthusiasm, “Oh, I am so happy to be here. I never want to leave again!”
That answer created a problem. The family was escorted to an interrogation room and detained while officials investigated their situation. Thankfully, after three days they were released and allowed to continue their concert tour.
Eventually the family settled in Stowe, Vermont, where the mountains and rolling hills reminded them of their home in Austria. Those hills brought them comfort and a sense of peace.
When the Hills Bring Fear
For the Psalmist, however, the hills did not bring comfort.
The Psalmist writes:
“I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where will my help come?”
In ancient times most travelers journeyed on foot through valleys and mountain passes. The terrain was difficult and dangerous. Caves in the hills often sheltered wild animals and bandits. As the sun set behind those mountains, travelers could easily feel vulnerable and afraid.
So the Psalmist’s question is an honest one.
Where will my help come from?
The answer comes almost immediately:
“My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The Lord will not let your foot be moved; the one who keeps you will not slumber.”
This Psalm reminds us that God remains present with us. Not only present, but ready to help us face what lies ahead.
God Walks With Us Through the Fire
Bible scholar Artur Weiser wrote that in the midst of life’s turmoil, God offers peace as God’s glory appears “in the tumult of the elements.”
Scripture gives us many examples of this promise.
In the book of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image. As punishment they were thrown into a fiery furnace. Yet they were not harmed. God entered the furnace with them and protected them.
The same promise appears in the story of Jesus walking on the water. When Peter stepped out of the boat to walk toward Jesus, his faith wavered and he began to sink beneath the waves. Jesus immediately reached out his hand and lifted him up.
These stories remind us that God does not abandon us in moments of fear or uncertainty. God reaches out to lift us up. And as followers of Christ, we are invited to do the same for others who are struggling beneath the waves of life.
The Hills Are Filled With Music
At times we may look toward the hills of our own lives and wonder what waits beyond them. What dangers might be ahead? What challenges might we face?
The Psalmist’s question becomes our question:
“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?”
And like the Psalmist, we already know the answer.
Our help comes from God.
God provides strength. God offers peace. God shelters us and walks with us through every uncertain moment.
When we remember this promise, even the mountains are no longer something to fear.
Instead, like the hills that surrounded the Von Trapp family in Vermont, they can remind us of something beautiful.
The hills are filled with the sound of music.
A song that proclaims God’s love, God’s presence, and God’s promise to remain with us always.
And we are invited to add our voices to that song.
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Peace & Blessings,
Pastor Richard
Reflection
Where in your life might God be calling you to look beyond appearances and see with the heart?
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