To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! (Psalms 123:1)
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isaiah 57:15)
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalms 46:1)
Oh to dwell on high with the Lord! One day we will. Even now we can allow Him to bring us up to the Heavenlies and dwell where He is, in a high and holy place, rather than dwelling in our own muck, or in the evil around us, or in all the distractions of this world that blind us to that glory. He invites us to "lift up our eyes" to see Him Who is high and lifted up, Who inhabits eternity, Who dwells in a high and holy place. He invites us to find His refuge and strength for all we need here below. He is not far removed from us and all our trials but has provided all we need here below that we can dwell/abide in Him, where He is, where He dwells, partaking of His life and provision and all we need as He comes to dwell in us.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3)
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Peter 1:3-4)
Here is the key..."through them you may become partakers of the divine nature." We have all we need but too often we do not partake of it. We live like paupers, rather than those who have all that we need. We go on begging from human means, from our own resources, rather than lifting up our eyes to Him Who is on high, to the One Who has provided all we need to live godly in this world. He did not make any exceptions to that...He did not say He has granted us some things but when life gets beyond that we'll have to struggle on our own, or that He has made provision for simple trials but the really difficult cases He cannot handle. He doesn't say to look to the resources of the flesh and the world but to "lift up our eyes." We have to consciously do this in order to partake of all that is "on high" and make it our own. He has given all to those who have come to Him for eternal life and have been born from above, joining His Heavenly kingdom. It's through His divine power, not through anything in us.
When one lifts up their eyes, it is usually from a place below. Such a contrast there is with where we are and where He is! Such a contrast there is with Who He is in His holiness and who we are in our sinfulness and weakness. From our humble position, He actually invites us to come up to where He is, and that if we lift our eyes to Him, He will dwell with us in our contrite spirit, in our weakness, in our seeing ourselves in this lowly position and finding that He is our only true help. He promises to revive the hearts of the contrite and lowly as they lift up their eyes to look to Him in whatever circumstance they find themselves in. He promises those who are His own children have access to every spiritual blessing in the Heavenlies. He is our Abba, our Heavenly Father Who has not neglected all provision for His own dear children.
We are not alone in this world. We need eyes that see not just what is happening around us in these days, or what is happening to us, or to others, but we need eyes "lifted up." I'm feeling this so strongly, lately, and I know others who love our Lord, Jesus Christ are feeling the same way. As the world closes in on us, we are finding He alone is our portion in this world, and what a portion that is! We're finding the more of this world that is taken from us the more we have as we draw from Him and lift our eyes more and more to Him. Our hope is not in the United States of America, or in our leaders, or in our Constitution. It is in our God and Savior as we lift our eyes to Him.
To You, Oh Lord, I lift my eyes for Your love, for Your provision, for Your patience and endurance, for Your grace and hope. You alone sustain me when I'm afraid, weary, weak, and needy. How sad when we forget to lift our eyes to Him and instead we live as though He simply saved us but gave us no way to live in Him. We go on as though we have no present help but must just do "our best" and struggle on. I have found that my best is not good enough. It won't cut it. What a relief it was to find out I didn't have to depend on or trust in my best to get me through life. What a relief it was to finally realize that I could fully trust in Him to keep me and that I did not have to fear I could not keep myself. Of course I cannot keep myself. When trial comes, when temptation comes, when life is overwhelming, He has never failed me and He has taught me that I can count on His power, and not worry about not having enough of my own.
To You I lift up my eyes Lord. More and more, the older I get, the longer I've walked with You, I lift my eyes to You, and I hope to guide others to do the same. You alone are our source of life, love, and happiness. I'm finding this earth has less and less of what I want to set my eyes on. More and more I'm drawn away from it to lift my eyes to Him. There are things in this life I need refuge from. When my eyes are lifted up to Him it's as though He has drawn me out of the storm and given me shelter in His presence, and He keeps me safe, though the storm rages around me still. My inner being, where He dwells, becomes still and peaceful. His presence sustains me. He is my ever-present help guiding me safely to the other shore.
And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing." And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?" (Matthew 8:24-27)
If Jesus brings you into the boat, He plans to bring you ashore as well. He could sleep because He was the One Who had power over the great tempest. He has power over every tempest in our life, and He is at rest knowing His purposes in them for our good. It may appear He does not care, but it is because of His total care and full provision, that He is at rest in Himself, and wants us to rest in Him as well, knowing He will take us where He wants to take us safely, as we place ourselves in His hands.
Abba, when the tempest is so overwhelmingly strong and threatens to drown me, remind me to lift my eyes to You and see You, high and lifted up, and all You are and realize You also dwell with me in all Your power and have made provision for all. Give us all that peace that passes understanding in You today, no matter where we are at. Whether things on earth are troubling, or going well for us, remind us to lift up our eyes to You, the Maker and Creator of all things.
If you want to know more about this salvation and are not sure you are going to Heaven, you can know. His Word assures us how we can know. Click here to read more.
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