By H. E. Singley, organist

I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there?

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

(Psalm 121:1, 2, NLT)

When our family lived in Ecuador in the 1970s and 1980s while involved in missionary service, we lived in what some would call a paradise. Quito, Ecuador’s capital, is located in a valley at an altitude of 9,350 feet (2,850 meters), surrounded by enthralling, majestic mountains. Those mountains are part of the range known as the Andes which looks like a spine extending along the west coast of South America. In Ecuador, the mountains run mainly through the middle of the country with tropical rainforests to the east and indescribable coastlands to the west.

By some counts, Ecuador (which, incidentally, is about equal to the state of Colorado in size) has fourteen mountains which are perpetually snow-capped. Ten of the peaks are over 5000 meters (16,000 feet) high! From our apartment in Quito, we could see five of the snowcaps almost every day of the year. (This Texan loves snow when I can see it off in the distance.)

I’ve come to think of those imposing mountains–each quite different from the others–as another demonstration of the ineffable beauty and grandeur of God’s creation. I’ve also realized that they were a kind of metaphor when we looked out to see them at the beginning of the day and realized that they were still there. I believe we gazed at them to remind ourselves–assure ourselves–that there are at least some things that we can count on virtually every day.

Thus for our family, the words of Psalm 121 have rich significance. They drive all of us to think about what we see in any context that offers confidence and certitude. If we’ve trusted Christ–and Christ alone–for forgiveness of sin and eternal life, then, in the words of the hymn we’re exploring, we have “turned our eyes upon Jesus.”

The writer of the hymn, Helen Lemmel, was born in a pastor’s home in England and came to the United States as a child. She was a singer of some renown and taught voice at Moody Bible Institute and the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (Biola University). She wrote the words and composed the music for the hymn.

O soul, are you weary and troubled?

No light in the darkness you see?

There’s light for a look at the Savior,

And life more abundant and free!

Thro' death into life everlasting,

He passed, and we follow Him there;

O’er us sin no more hath dominion--

For more than conqu’rors we are!

His Word shall not fail you--He promised;

Believe Him, and all will be well:

Then go to a world that is dying,

His perfect salvation to tell!

Refrain:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.

As is sometimes the case, the refrain can be detached from the three stanzas (verses) and stand by itself. (Some hymnals have done that.) The stanzas, however, strengthen the refrain by:

Asking if we might be weary and troubled (perhaps a rhetorical question?)
Reminding us that His Word will not fail us
Urging us to tell of His salvation to a dying world

There’s a summons here for all people, no matter where we find ourselves in our spiritual pilgrimage!

May we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, knowing He is always there!

Let all the world look to me for salvation!

For I am God; there is no other.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses

to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down,

especially the sin that so easily trips us up.

And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus,

the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.

(Isaiah 45:22; Hebrews 12:1,2a, NLT)

IDEAS FOR LISTENING

Listen for the melody of the hymn-tune throughout.
The music begins and ends with the refrain.
Two different interpretations accompany the melody of the “verse part” of the hymn. (You might think of the first and final stanzas.)
Sing the hymn–words AND music–even if you’re by yourself!