Going Higher

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. Psalm 121:1-8 (KJV)

Psalms 120 through 134 are called the songs of degrees, or ascents. They are also called songs of steps. Israel would sing these Psalms as they went up to Jerusalem for the feasts of the Lord at the temple. As they went up to the temple, they would stop at each step and sing worship to God.

The Lord gives us songs to take us higher in Him. We need to keep taking steps and not stop halfway in the process, We need to keep worshipping God as we go higher and higher in Him.

These songs of ascent can also be called songs of the stairway. I remember a secular song years ago called Stairway to Heaven. The title was deceptive because it did not take you closer to God but farther from Him. As we worship the Lord, we must be certain our songs line up with scripture so we’re sure to go higher in God.

When our songs of worship take us into His presence it opens a stairway to heaven. Through Word-based worship we take steps up the stairs to the very throne room of heaven. As we spend time worshipping, we will go higher in the things of God like love, giving, helping, praying, witnessing, and so on. Each song we sing to Jesus brings us one step closer to Him.

Let us commit to worshipping the Lord continually and according to the Word. As we do, we will go higher, until one day we are caught up to heaven, all worshipping Jesus in His holy temple in heaven. What a glorious day that will be!