LOOK UP! - Jennie Walter
The day I am writing this is the day we are experiencing the solar eclipse. One of my sons had a pair of the sunglasses you can use to witness the event and we spent a few minutes in the front yard looking at the sun.
The solar eclipse was still taking place as I was driving another one of my sons to work that afternoon .
On the drive back to my home it was interesting to see people outside with the solar sunglasses looking up to see this special phenomenon taking place. I even saw an older couple who had pulled their car off the road so they could take a moment to stare at the sky.
As I was talking to my Heavenly Father about His immense power over nature it occurred to me that God had everyone looking up on this special day. Saved and unsaved alike were outside looking up towards Heaven.
As a Christian I am ALWAYS to be looking up! The Bible has so many verses and examples that remind us to look up.
Psalm 5:1-3 “Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.”
Why should we look up?
1. We find help when we look up.
Psalm 121:1-2 “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.”
Looking down will continue my discouragement and despair in the midst of life’s circumstances. My help comes from the hills. To see the hills I must be looking up.
2. We find healing when we look up.
Numbers 21:4-9 “And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.”
The Israelites had sinned yet again. As a punishment for their murmuring against the Lord, God sent fiery serpents. They repented and God offered healing—but they had to look up.
No matter how often we sin, our merciful Heavenly Father will offer healing if we repent and look up.
3. We find hope when we look up.
Psalm 61:2 “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”
How often I am overwhelmed by the problems and trials I am facing. Looking up to the Rock that is higher than I changes my perspective.
Eeyore spends his life looking down and feels like the world is a dismal place. In contrast, Tigger bounces through life seeing all the good and joy around. Eeyore depicts the spirit of one who lives hopeless and Tigger depicts one who is hopeful. As a Christian I have eternal hope because of Christ! By focusing on my Heavenly Father I find the hope I so desperately need to face the storms in my life.
4. We find home when we look up.
Psalm 123:1 “Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.”
How beautiful Heaven will be! As a child of God, this world is not my home. I have an eternal reason to look up and to make the most of each day.
So many times I picture what my precious husband is doing and enjoying in Heaven. This reminds me how temporal the storms I am experiencing are and how quickly time fades away.
As I saw people outside enjoying the solar eclipse, it reminded me to keep looking up to enjoy it. As we spend our days looking up, focused on and glorifying our Saviour, we are encouraging those around us to look up also. I am so grateful for those in my life who faithfully pointed my gaze upward when I was looking down in despair.
You have the power of influence in the lives of those you love and serve. As wives, mothers, grandmothers, teachers, aunts, sisters, daughters, and as children of God we have the responsibility to point others to the Saviour. We need to show others how to always look up.
And when I look up to my Heavenly Father while I am in the times of my deepest distress, I am always encouraged and find the strength I need to take another step in this journey we call life.
Let’s spend our days looking up!