LOOK UP AND BE LIFTED UP
We may have been hoping for a New Year filled with new beginnings, but the reality is many of us are still facing ongoing challenging times, hardships, insecurities, and uneasiness with all that concerns us. These situations can feel like weights that we carry. We are not supposed to live this way. But what is the alternative?
Lift Up Your Head
Psalm 24:7,10 (NIV)
Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.
Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty— he is the King of glory.
At all times and especially in the difficult situations or seasons we are to look up to God, the One who can lift us up. Difficulties tend to darken our memory of God’s past faithfulness. Troubles cause us to feel we have to do it all by ourselves. This makes us feel isolated and alone. Hardships can make us feel weaker than we are or more powerless to change anything… but God has given us answers.
Let’s start with we are not to carry our own load. In the book of Matthew 11:28 (NASB) Jesus says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
We are not alone. Jesus is the one we can run to. He is the one we can throw our burdens onto. When we respond faithfully to His great love, we are to look up to the One who is able to lift us up. Almighty God is the One who will come in and give us His peace. By looking to Him we will be lifted up!
MY STORY:
As I shared before when God first taught me this powerful lesson from Psalm 24, I was experiencing a terrible fear that was rooted in a real concern, which I was facing. Immediately as I was about to lose my peace, I got on my knees and began to cry out to God. I voiced my concern to Him. I told Him I needed a truth to hold on to. I prayed, “Please, Lord, speak to me through Your Word.” I felt Him prompt my heart, “Psalm 24:7.”
I quickly opened my Bible and read Psalm 24:7. As I read the words “Lift up your heads,” I actually looked up. With my head lifted up, I took a deep and calming breath. With my focus now upon my faithful Lord, I felt spiritually lifted up. I felt the heavy weight lift from within me.
God prompted my heart, “How often are you to lift up your head and take your eyes off of your circumstances, fixing your attention onto Me?”
I was amazed when I realized the scripture is Psalm 24:7. What a great reminder that twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week we are to look up to God.
In that moment God showed me that He knew where I was, and what scripture I needed. He knew that I had begun to focus on my circumstances, which was causing me to lose sight of His presence in my life. Focusing on my negative circumstances had produced fear and was beginning to rob my peace. When I focused on the Lord Almighty, He lifted my fear and gave me faith to trust Him. I had a clear understanding that He wants me to look up to Him 24/7 so that I may be lifted up!
We are to Look Up!
What a good reminder to look up to Him. I pray that we look up to God throughout this year, so that we will be lifted up. I also pray that He will take our greatest pain, disappointment, or sorrow and saturate those depths with His peace, comfort, and love.
“Lord, keep our eyes on You. May we rest in your loving arms as we give You the burdens we face. Lord, our difficulties are real and can be overwhelming. Meet our needs. Help us to trust you with all that concerns us. Remind us of Your faithfulness. You are faithful! You love us! You are Almighty God, the One who will keep us. We entrust all that concerns us and all that is dear to us into Your mighty arms. May we all live in the rest that only You can provide.”
Friend, I greatly appreciate you and if there is something you want me and my team to pray for, please let me know.
Looking up,
Dawn
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