March 26th, 2026
by Casey Stanfill
by Casey Stanfill
Psalm 121 – The Mountaineer’s Favorite Verse
This past week, Cheyenne and I took a vacation to the Smokey Mountains. It was a nice, relaxing getaway; we wanted to get one last vacation in before the baby arrives in June. In preparation, I created a playlist full of soft, acoustic folk music (James Taylor, John Denver, etc) as well as bluegrass. It was a very aesthetic experience; there’s just something about the sound of an acoustic guitar, a banjo, or a dobro (slide guitar) that fits perfectly with the mountain views. Maybe it’s because these instruments are still made out of natural materials like wood. In the mountains, we also sleep in cabins made of solid wood, we see old churches made of solid wood, and we build campfires made of wood. I’m no psychologist or biologist, but it seems as though we’re drawn back to our natural roots as humans when we connect with God’s creation in the outdoors. I think that’s why the mountains give us such a ‘cozy’ feeling.
One of the songs that I added to my playlist was a folk song by Ellie Holcomb entitled, I Lift My Eyes – Psalm 121. As you might imagine, this song is simply the words of Psalm 121 set to music. Psalm 121:1-2 says this:
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
I see this Psalm a lot in mountain areas, particularly verses 1-2. In fact, when Cheyenne and I got married in the Appalachians in South Carolina, Psalm 121:1-2 was engraved both at our wedding venue and at the cabin we stayed at the week of our wedding. Coincidentally, these verses were also engraved into a leather notebook that was given to me at my ordination service, which I use daily in the office.
Anyways, following verses 1-2, the rest of the psalm elaborates more on how God helps us and protect us. In the Old Testament, hills and mountains were seen as either a place to hide or as a looming menace- both of which prompt one to ask about their source of help.
What a wonderful image of our Mighty Protector! He is awesome in power and delights in blessing His children (Luke 12:32), including the blessing of His protection. This Psalm isn’t suggesting that we will never receive any sort of pain or hardship. However, we can trust that, through His mercy and protection, that God is working all things out for our good and for His glory (Romans 8:28). He is guarding our salvation (1 Peter 1:5), and we can trust that He will persevere us to the end. In other words, because of His protective power, mercy, and grace, you WILL persevere, and you will NOT lose your salvation! Trust in that, church!
This idea of endurance applies to us not just individually, but globally too. For thousands and thousands of years, Christianity has persevered despite persecution, expansion of false religions, anti-Christian cultures. The world just can’t seem to get rid of Christianity, no matter how hard it tries!
I say all of this to say: when we ask the question, “Where does my help come from,” this isn’t just some vague, arbitrary thing that gives us good fortune. It’s a very tangible, awe-inspiring attribute of God and is a testament to His mercy and His grace.
This Palm Sunday, let us be awestruck by the fact that salvation has come because our help does, indeed, come from God!
To God be the Glory,
Bro. Casey
This past week, Cheyenne and I took a vacation to the Smokey Mountains. It was a nice, relaxing getaway; we wanted to get one last vacation in before the baby arrives in June. In preparation, I created a playlist full of soft, acoustic folk music (James Taylor, John Denver, etc) as well as bluegrass. It was a very aesthetic experience; there’s just something about the sound of an acoustic guitar, a banjo, or a dobro (slide guitar) that fits perfectly with the mountain views. Maybe it’s because these instruments are still made out of natural materials like wood. In the mountains, we also sleep in cabins made of solid wood, we see old churches made of solid wood, and we build campfires made of wood. I’m no psychologist or biologist, but it seems as though we’re drawn back to our natural roots as humans when we connect with God’s creation in the outdoors. I think that’s why the mountains give us such a ‘cozy’ feeling.
One of the songs that I added to my playlist was a folk song by Ellie Holcomb entitled, I Lift My Eyes – Psalm 121. As you might imagine, this song is simply the words of Psalm 121 set to music. Psalm 121:1-2 says this:
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
I see this Psalm a lot in mountain areas, particularly verses 1-2. In fact, when Cheyenne and I got married in the Appalachians in South Carolina, Psalm 121:1-2 was engraved both at our wedding venue and at the cabin we stayed at the week of our wedding. Coincidentally, these verses were also engraved into a leather notebook that was given to me at my ordination service, which I use daily in the office.
Anyways, following verses 1-2, the rest of the psalm elaborates more on how God helps us and protect us. In the Old Testament, hills and mountains were seen as either a place to hide or as a looming menace- both of which prompt one to ask about their source of help.
What a wonderful image of our Mighty Protector! He is awesome in power and delights in blessing His children (Luke 12:32), including the blessing of His protection. This Psalm isn’t suggesting that we will never receive any sort of pain or hardship. However, we can trust that, through His mercy and protection, that God is working all things out for our good and for His glory (Romans 8:28). He is guarding our salvation (1 Peter 1:5), and we can trust that He will persevere us to the end. In other words, because of His protective power, mercy, and grace, you WILL persevere, and you will NOT lose your salvation! Trust in that, church!
This idea of endurance applies to us not just individually, but globally too. For thousands and thousands of years, Christianity has persevered despite persecution, expansion of false religions, anti-Christian cultures. The world just can’t seem to get rid of Christianity, no matter how hard it tries!
I say all of this to say: when we ask the question, “Where does my help come from,” this isn’t just some vague, arbitrary thing that gives us good fortune. It’s a very tangible, awe-inspiring attribute of God and is a testament to His mercy and His grace.
This Palm Sunday, let us be awestruck by the fact that salvation has come because our help does, indeed, come from God!
To God be the Glory,
Bro. Casey
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