Look it up!

Have you ever looked at your circumstances and panicked or become dissatisfied, frustrated or fearful? 

Every day we have the opportunity to do this.  Things around us speak to our hearts, and let's face it,  many times the message they carry isn't one of joy, hope and peace.

Worry is a kind of mediation; it's just a negative form!  When we look around and see things on surface value (carnally) and not from a spiritual truth, we can always find something bad to get us down.

Today I want to encourage you to 'look up'.

In Mark 6 we read the well known account of Jesus feeding 5000+ people.   Sometimes, we have to really put ourselves in a story to let it impact us as we become so familiar with things

Picture the scene: thousands of people have been milling about, listening to teaching, and it's getting on a bit in the day.  Some people are murmuring about needing to get home, and some of the disciples rub their bellies as they hear them grumbling and realise they haven't eaten all day.  A little kid comes up to one of the disciples and offers to share his lunch, but maybe there's a bit of a discussion, as one thinks they shouldn't take it from the kid, another is quite willing to share, but quickly realizes there's not enough for all of them, let alone the crowds.  So they take the matter to Jesus and suggest that he dismisses the crowd so they can all go and get something to eat.  Jesus replies "You give them something to eat!" 

Can you imagine?  Even if they could have popped into a little local store, there was no way, they could have found enough for the whole crowd!!  What was Jesus thinking?  I can fully see Peter screwing his face up as he tries to figure out the maths.  Judas is having a fit as he considers what's in the treasury, and the Sons of Thunder, well maybe they were working out if they could take the lunch from the little boy and get away with it!!

Ok, maybe some poetic licence there, but you get the idea.  What do they do?  It is clear there isn't enough to go around.  Yes what does Jesus do? 

(Mark 6:41) And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.

He takes what is offered and then HE LOOKS UP! He takes his eyes off of the circumstances and looks up to his Father, and of course we know the results. 

In the Old Testament, we've probably all read the description of Abraham's journey with his son Isaac, who he has been told to take as an offering!  They get to where they are going and Abraham prepares to take Isaac's life. Now God knew the plan, but Abraham didn't and at the final moment, God stays his hand and this is what happens next:

Genesis 22:13
And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

This is a type and shadow of Jesus!   Again, see how Abraham lifted his eyes UP and away from the circumstance, and he saw the ram - the provision of God for that moment.

And finally today let's consider Stephen.  He's preaching and there's some folk that stir up trouble against him, and they rally others and they plan to dispatch Stephen for good. 

He's surrounded by an angry mob. The noise is deafening, but somehow he can still hear their vicious accusations and cries.  He knows the things they are shouting are not true, but they are intent to kill him.  Here's what he does...

Acts 7:55
But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

Stephen looked away from all that, and fixed his eyes on the heavenly things. He saw the glory of God and Jesus. 

What I am trying to say is that we need to take our eyes (focus) away from the things that are speaking to us... Whether its lack, fear of loss, letting go of what we think God has given us, opposition, impossible situations or hurt.   We need to lift our eyes up and away from those things and see the glory of God and Jesus. 

As we focus on God's glory and splendour, these circumstances diminish in our eyes, and when we see Jesus and remember all he has done for us at the cross, and every testimony we have already been part of, then we will see things from a different perspective.  Our circumstances will not dictate to us and we can get our hearts back to peace, joy and hope, regardless of what things look like. 

Today, take your eyes off the circumstances.  Look up!   If God is for you, who can be against you?  No circumstance, no plan of the enemy and no lie can separate you from His love. So keep your eyes on Him and walk by faith, not sight.