Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Look Up

Worlds End State Park and Loyalsock Creek
Sullivan County, Pennsylvania

“I guess God put me on my back so I would look up,” Mabel Fleck told my husband when he visited her in the hospital, way back in the early 90’s.

The direction we are looking says a lot about how we are feeling. When we are ashamed, we look guiltily down at our feet. When we are frightened, we open our eyes wide and glance quickly around us. When we are discouraged, we find ourselves staring unfocused at nothing in particular. When sadness overwhelms us, we squeeze our eyes shut in an effort to block out the pain and our grief leaks out as tears. When we are angry, our eyes narrow to slits and shoot fire.

God’s Word says that there is a place and a person where, and upon whom, our eyes should be focused: “My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning, I will direct it to You, and I will look up.” (Psalm 5:3).

“I will look up.”

When faced with a scary procedure, a disheartening situation, a scenario that breaks our hearts, or an ire-filled confrontation, it’s easy to look everywhere but up. We seek something, anything, to focus upon that will re-direct our attention from negative circumstances, forgetting our One Source of true hope—Jesus.

Psalm 121 reminds us upon Whom we are to focus:

I look to the mountains;
    where will my help come from?
My help will come from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.
He will not let you fall;
    your protector is always awake.
The protector of Israel
    never dozes or sleeps.
The Lord will guard you;
    he is by your side to protect you.
The sun will not hurt you during the day,
    nor the moon during the night.
The Lord will protect you from all danger;
    he will keep you safe.
He will protect you as you come and go
    now and forever.

Lord, whether we, like Mabel, are flat on our backs in the hospital or are climbing another kind of “Mt. Everest” in our lives, help us to “look up”, keeping our focus on You, our comforter, guide, and redeemer. Amen.

Be encouraged!
Pam

©2017 Pamela D. Williams