I lift up my eyes to the mountains — where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2 NIV
The previous night’s thunderstorm had been a wild one. The wind had whipped through the trees, leaving twigs and branches strewn along the street. During my morning bicycle ride, I carefully navigated through the mess, having no desire to topple onto the pavement.
Coming to a clear area, I realized that I was still carefully scrutinizing my concrete path and was missing a glorious sunrise. Streaks of red and orange decorated the morning sky, set against a background of vivid blue. I still needed to watch where I was going, but I reminded myself to look up, to lift my eyes to the horizon, and to focus on the wonder and glory of God’s handiwork.
Just as on that early-morning bike ride, I’ve been encouraged many times by Psalm 121 to lift up my eyes to the “mountains” and see where my help comes from when dealing with other obstacles in life — an unexpected illness, a fractured friendship, dashed dreams, and many other things. The tendency is often to focus on the problem or obstacle, but God reminds us to look up — to seek Him — in every circumstance.
Prayer: Lord, please help me remember to keep lifting my eyes to see beyond my obstacles to the glorious things You want me to see.
~ Janet Willig, writer
~ Jonathan Kaufman, photographer
