Look Up

Given July 31, 2007

Horizontal thinking – a problem for most of us.  When confronted with a problem or situation, we tend to look horizontally at the problem instead of looking up to God.  The Hebrew nation facing the Red Sea was looking horizontally.  All they could see was the sea before them and the Egyptian army behind. But Moses said, “Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.” Exodus 14:13.  You know what happened; they looked up, “And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses. Exodus 14:31“.

And remember  Gehazi, Elisha’s servant?  All he could see was the Syrian army surrounding them at Dothan.  Elisha prayed, “… and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 2Kings 6: 17“.  I contend that Gehazi took his eyes off the enemy and looked a little higher.  And, like the Israelites, God took care of them.

I remember a time when my wife had some minor surgery and, because she is really sensitive to anesthesia, she was taking a long time to, “come out of it”.  After an hour or so, they got her up to walk and she was having trouble with her balance.  The nurse told her, “Mamam, don’t look down, look up.  It’s better if you look up.”  This was the revelation of God on that day…look up and see the salvation of the Lord.