Our Daily Bread Jan 11
Lift Up Your Eyes / By: Glenn Packiam My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. - Psalm 121:2
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Psalm 121
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
The clouds hung low, blocking the horizon and limiting visibility to only a few hundred yards. The minutes dragged on. The effect on my mood was noticeable. But then, as afternoon approached, the clouds began to break, and I saw it: beautiful Pikes Peak, the most recognizable landmark of my city, flanked on each side by the mountain range. A smile broke over my face. I considered that even our physical perspective—our literal line of sight—can affect our spiritual vision. And I was reminded of the psalmist singing, “I lift up my eyes to the mountains” (Psalm 121:1). Sometimes we simply need to lift our eyes a bit higher!
The psalmist pondered where his help came from, maybe because the hilltops around Israel were dotted with altars to pagan gods and often contained robbers. Or it could have been because the psalmist looked up beyond the hills to Mount Zion where the temple stood and remembered that the Maker of heaven and earth was his covenant God (v. 2). Either way, to worship we must look up. We have to lift our eyes higher than our circumstances, higher than our troubles and trials, higher than the empty promises of the false gods of our day. Then we can see the Creator and Redeemer, the One who calls us by name. He’s the One who will “watch over your coming and going” today and forevermore (v. 8).
Today’s Hymns:
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus by Alan
I lift my eyes up, to the mountains
Scripture to Respond:
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.[a]
Hebrews 12:2-3
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Reflection:
Is what you see affect your spiritual sight? Are you willing to learn to lift up your horizon, even beyond our circumstances, troubles and trials and the empty promises of the false gods of this age, look up to the Creator God and Jesus Christ the pioneer and perfecter of your faith?
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You! You are the Creator and Protector, and also my God who made heaven and earth and watches over me.
Please help me to lift up my head in hardships, fix my eye on You and learn to look up and trust You.
Wong Wai Tung (Chief executive officer of The Great Wall Education Foundation) &
Sam Chow (Administrative officer of The Great Wall Education Foundation) Translated by Esther Leung
