Look Up

Exodus 15:1-3 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.


Sometimes you need to stop everything you are doing, turn off your phone, walk outside and look up.
If it is raining or snowing, go to a window.  Your sky may be blue and cloudless, or it may be gray and heavy with a storm, but the One who made them is neither.  He is God.  Your God.  Once you look up, speak to Him.  Tell Him just how wonderful you think He really is.  Even if your heart feels broken, He is nigh to those with a broken and crushed spirit.  He is listening.

I read through some of the recorded praises in the Bible to see what others said to God.  I thought on Miriam, Moses' sister getting that timbrel out and praising and singing to God.  I thought of the Psalmist proclaiming that God was his God, even unto death.  I read of Mary in Luke 1 saying her soul magnified the Lord.  I imagined the multitudes singing after God saved them from the Egyptians and what their collective voice must have sounded like.  It brought a stirring to my soul, so I went and sat on the front stoop of my house and looked up.  I saw a gray sky, but I said, "Hey God!"  I started to praise Him, but do you know what happened?  I immediately turned the attention back to myself and thought, "Who am I to be praising God?  I am nothing."  A tug of war began happening inside my spirit that I really can't explain, but I imagine anyone reading this knows the exact feeling.  The feeling of ineptness, unworthiness, uselessness.  They all began cascading down on me like a powerful waterfall, burying my words of praise.  Before I knew it I was ready to stand back up and quit praying.  So, I raised my eyes again, somewhat timidly and smiled towards the Heavens.  I told God He was Wonderful.  I began recounting things to Him that He had done in my life.  And before long I was lifting my hands and my voice towards MY GOD.  I was looking up.

The battles are hard.  The deep weary trenches of the trials are dark and seemingly lonely places. You can choose to look down and weep at the mud and mire where you kneel, or you can look up and see Who it is that is protecting you there while you go through these times.  Look up.

The children of Israel had been treated horribly in those years in Egypt, but God had just brought them out.  God and God alone had done it.  Everyone was singing and praising at the right time and in the right place and in the right direction!  They shouted their thanks to Him.  They were looking up.

What about you?  When is the last time you praised Him for just simply being your God?  Not just an off the shoulder comment of Praise the Lord, but praising with all your heart?  As I sat out on my stoop I saw my oldest daughter's shoe that the dogs had found, so I thanked Him for paying her bill these last two years in college.  I thanked Him for sparing her life in the Amazon when she was just a little girl and sick unto death.  I saw a Kit-Kat wrapper and thought of my friend, Lonella, in West Virginia who sent my children a big box of candy for Christmas so I thanked God for her and her family who have often been a blessing to me and the children.  Then I looked over towards the garage and thanked God for the car He provided us 4 years ago because of some other friends in West Virginia.  Then I saw a bird house that used to hang at my yellow house up on Redhouse hill that the church bought so Mark and I could have a house to live in and I started bawling.  God has provided over and over and over again for me, so my praises became more fervent.  I couldn't have run out of things to thank Him for if I had wanted.  The very fact my fingers are moving across the keyboard typing this is proof of His miracle in saving my life in 2001 when the doctors had given up ever finding out what was wrong.  And Oh, Praise the Lord for all the moments here in Brazil when I have felt down and alone and sensed His Sweet Holy Spirit come up and sit beside me and tell me He was listening. 

I suppose the purpose of this post is to get you to take time and look up today.  Just let your thoughts linger on Him for a bit.  If the enemy comes along and tells you that you aren't allowed, you tell him that Jesus crushed his head once and you are about to crush it again with your Praise to the Lord Almighty!  Then get to praising our God.  For He is Worthy.  Look up!

Isaiah 40:25 26  To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.  Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.

Until next time, Lord willing,

Sheri