The Psalmist said in Psalm 5:3, "My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up." How blessed it is amid all of earth's confusion, disturbances, trouble, perplexities and sorrow, to be able to direct our prayers to the heavenly Father and to look up!

There are so many foreign elements around us that tend to pull us down and lead us astray from the true way of life. The world is a mist of sin, error, deceit, hypocrisy, false religion and unbelief. Things are happening and taking shape in the world and in people's lives that we never dreamed would happen. We are shocked and stunned at the course that people are taking. It is enough to disgust our hearts and vex us to the point of despair.

The outward look is bad, the downward look is frightening, and the look around is confusing, but let us look up! The upward look is bright! "They looked unto him, and were lightened (made bright and cheerful): and their faces were not ashamed." Psalm 34:5. "...Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;..." Hebrews 12:1-2. Jesus "...is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God;..." I Peter 3:22, as the high priest of our salvation.

"For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures (or types) of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." Hebrews 9:24. For whatever need that we have to be filled we must look up. We must look beyond the fleeting things of earth, the waywardness of man and the confusing turmoil of blinded mortals. We must lift our vision to the Son of God who is passed into the heavens to reign and rule and to keep us, while we tarry in this world of sin and night. We are in a treacherous world and it is to invite defeat and disaster to allow our minds to dwell on the vain and frivolous things of earth and time. Look to others to be confused, look to one's self to be miserable, but look steadfastly to Jesus to be happy. Stephen, the first Christian to suffer death for Jesus, when being tried and condemned by the rulers in Acts 7:55, "...looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God." What a source of strength and courage looking up to Jesus brought him at that hour, when he was being condemned to death! Many poor souls have gone down by looking in the wrong direction. Satan has many things for us to look at today. If he can get our eyes off of Jesus and on the dismaying things of earth, that is just what he wants to do.

I remember hearing Brother Isaac Chandler years ago, telling about a time when he was a young man and the devil was bringing against him a seige of accusations. He had fasted, spent nights in prayer, and did everything he knew to do to get victory, and still the devil just rode him. He knew of a minister, a mother in Israel, in whom he had great confidence. He never saw her make a move but what God was in it. So he said in his heart to the Lord, "Since I don't know what to do, if You will tell that minister, I will do what she says." Soon after this, on a Sunday morning, he came into the chapel for service and sat down in the back and leaned over against the wall. He was heavy-hearted and in fasting and prayer. As soon as the service was dismissed this sister minister turned around and walked back through the crowd, pressing her way to him. She held out her hand and said, "Young man, the Lord shows me that you have the victory, but the devil is accusing you. LOOK UP!" He said that he felt the power of hell break and he took hold of victory.

Oh, we must look up! I remember a time when I was in a camp meeting and someone spoke some things to me that so crushed and discouraged and confused my spirit. It is too bad that things like this happen, but they do and that day it came my lot to feel the abuse of such unwise and discouraging words. I was so distraught and bruised in soul that I got in my car and headed out into the country. Oh, how sad and broken I was. I found an isolated place and went to prayer. I wept and prayed and poured out my heart to the Lord. I heard that voice of Jesus thunder into my soul: "...I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life!" John 8:12. I looked up! Oh, how the healing of heaven swept over my soul! I thought, "I have no need to be discouraged or confused. JESUS is the light of the world! He still is at the right hand of God pleading for me!" Oh, how I got the victory that day! I went back to the meeting with courage and confidence in my soul.

Jesus ascended up on high, and led captivity captive. He ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. (Ephesians 4:8-9.) He conquered sin, death, hell and the grave! And He ascended to the right hand of God to reign for us. He can give us victory and success in our lives. But we must look up with a steadfast faith and hope. It is quite difficult for us to take our eyes off of the things that are seen and so flashingly visible around us and look instead to the realm of the unseen.
But we must do it!!
If we don't look up, we'll go down. The sinner must get his eyes off of the vain things of this world and his own helplessness and unworthiness and look upward to Jesus, the mighty to save. The child of God must keep his eyes upward to Jesus and not be moved by anything down here. We must not allow the influence of people to turn us from the heavenly vision!

Let us look up! It is a most distressing, confusing, and gloomy world we live in. The saints of God are going through peculiar and dismaying trials of faith. The Church is passing through difficult times. God is calling many of His children out of this world. But let us keep looking up. As dear Brother George Stephenson said many years ago, "The Lord Jesus is leading us on to certain victory!" Yes, He is! But we must turn our eyes up into the heavens where Christ sits at the right hand of God. He will guide us through these troublesome times and bring us to His eternal glory. Praise the Lord for the UPWARD LOOK!! [ The End ]