Dear Beloved,
Are your eyes on the storm or the Storm-Chaser, the waves or the Wave-Walker, the mountain or the Mountain-Mover, the foe or the Foe-Defeater? Scripture tells us to look unto the hills from where our strength comes. I love that thought. It means that when my eyes are on Jesus, I can’t be stewing about my problems. When I keep my eyes on the Lord, He lifts my thoughts and helps me walk above the issues of life. I cannot be meditating on problems and the presence of Jesus at the same time, and when I meditate on Him, my spirit is lifted, and my concerns fade away. As I behold His presence, He gives me peace. He talks to me when I look up to Him instead of at the storms, the waves, the mountains, or the foes. He speaks to my spirit and gives me ideas and solutions and a way to walk above the issues of this world.
Psalm 121 says:
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.
What a comfort! Thank you Lord that when I feel the storms raging, the waves crashing, the mountains becoming too hard to climb, the foes of life feeling stronger than I, I can come to the end of my strength and receive Yours. You give strength to the weak. You give answers to the questioning or confused. You bring order in the midst of chaos. You still the winds. Greater is He Who is in me than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). Greater is our Creator, our Father, our Friend than any of life’s challenges!
Sometimes, when life seems challenging, and I am unsure of what to do next, I just stop and literally look up into the sky. I view the clouds rolling effortlessly along in all of their splendor, and I remember Who fashions them. I rejoice in the beautiful blue hues of day or the stunning purples and oranges of the dusky sky, and think about how majestic our God is. Just the act of looking up makes me connect with the Spirit of God and all of His grace and mercy and power and magnificence. Just the physical act of lifting my eyes causes my spirit to lighten, and it makes me pause and remember that God is with me, for me, helping me. He is always at my side, my dearest friend and unfailing help. You cannot have a cast-down spirit when you lift your sights and behold and remember the Maker of Heaven and earth, the Creator of your soul! He cares passionately for you (1 Peter 5:7)!
In Exodus 15:13 we are reassured that the Lord leads His redeemed to His holy dwelling. (Read Exodus 15:1-19. It is beautiful!) Yes, this passage refers to Israel, but we too are redeemed through Christ! In verse 17, Scripture tells us that God will bring us in and “plant [us] on the mountain of His inheritance…the sanctuary [His] hands established…” This speaks volumes to me! We are His redeemed. He gives us sanctuary (that’s safety, peace, abundance) established by Him with His inheritance provided for us! Hallelujah! Why should I let my heart be troubled when God has already provided for me more than I could ever imagine?
I will look up and let my heart rejoice!
Pastor Lisa Marie
If you have never made Jesus the Lord of your life and desire to, pray this: Dear God, I believe that Jesus is your Son, that He died on the cross for me and was resurrected for my redemption. I choose to make Jesus the Lord of my life. I thank you for forgiving me and for filling me with Your Holy Spirit. I thank You that I am Your child, that You are my Father, and that You have great things planned for me. Amen.