Small Group Questions:

1. Have you ever been on a trip or journey that didn’t go as planned? What happened?
2. Do you enjoy the journey more, or just getting to the destination? Why?
3. What’s something in life that feels like it’s in progress still?
4. When people say “I need help,” what do you think they usually mean?
5. Do you think people find it easier to trust God at the beginning, middle, or end of something? Why?
6. Why do you think it’s difficult to believe that God is present in the middle of the journey, not just when things work out?
7. What do you think it looks like to trust that God is with us in the middle of whatever we’re dealing with?

THE MAIN POINT

In the journey of life, we relate to God by trusting His presence with us every step of the way. God is just as present in the middle as He is in the destination.

THE BIBLE

Psalm 121

THE CONTEXT

While wisdom psalms teach us how to be rooted when life is stable, songs of ascent remind us that life does not stay still. We are always moving, growing, and journeying. In those seasons, we relate to God by trusting that He is with us every step of the way.

These psalms are often associated with journeys toward Jerusalem which sits at a higher elevation geographically or with faithful travelers traveling up to the Temple during the feasts. Just like wisdom Psalms, these Psalms are considered to be Psalms of orientation. Songs of Ascent speak to seasons where life feels like a journey; unfinished and in progress. They teach us how to relate to God not at the destination, but along the way.

This Psalm was most likely sung as the singer and their group were still far away from the appointed place of worship. As they lift their eyes toward the distant mountains, they are not far from God, however. In God’s keeping, even though they are far from the center of external worship, the pilgrims realize and contemplate their safety. They recognize that their help does not come from the mountains, but rather from God, the creator of these very mountains.

THE CORE

As you prepare the core of the message using personal story and questions, keep in mind these points:

• The journey to Jerusalem was not easy. Travel meant uncertainty and the unknown. The question “Where does my help come from?” is not just rhetorical, it is deeply human. It invites us to consider where we instinctively look for help.
• The singer understood that the group didn’t need to arrive to Jerusalem before they came under God’s protective care. He would watch over them on the journey. God is just as present in the journey as in the destination. In all of life God is our helper.
• The successful journey becomes like a parable for one’s life, in which the faithful can be confident of God’s tireless care.
• The temptation in the journey is to believe that God will meet us “there” – when we arrive, when life settles, when things make sense. Psalm 121 reminds us that a world in order is a world where we recognize that God is already present “here,” in the middle of the journey.

THE APPLICATION

As you prepare the application, challenge and/or encouragement, keep in mind these points:

• Relating to God is not about arriving quickly, but about continuing to trust Him along the way, even when the journey is slow or uncertain.
• The journey of faith was never meant to be walked alone, God often reminds us of His presence through His people. Community is one of the ways we experience Him along the way.
• We relate to God in the present, not in some future version of our lives where everything feels more put together.
• God’s care is not distant or occasional, it is constant, attentive, and personal in every part of our lives.