"Lift Up Your Eyes"

Lift up your eyes,

I heard the Lord say,

I heard in the morning,

And I heard it all day.

Problem about it,

All that I saw,

Made my heart heavy,

It would not unthaw.

I saw grief and trouble,

I saw pain and stress,

Not feeling hopeful,

Just stark hopelessness.

Life up your eyes, son,

Look up, look at Me,

But the old devil blinded,

And I could not see.

So I kept on struggling,

And stumbled and fell,

No light, only darkness,

And you just cannot tell,

Where you are going,

Or what you should do,

Without much direction,

And ‘nary a clue.

And then I just did it,

I finally looked up,

I lifted my vision,

And poured out my cup.

That held tears from crying,

And all of my pain,

The guilt and confusion,

My loss and my shame.

The eyes of my Savior,

With love for me filled,

And just in one moment,

My hopelessness filled.

He lifted my burden,

When I lifted my eyes,

Felt so much better,

Life-changing surprise.

Can you hear him say it,

It’s not just for me,

Lift up your eyes, brother,

And you, too, will see.

“Lift up your eyes…” (Isaiah 40:26, NIV)

God challenges Isaiah and all Israel to lift up their eyes and look to the starry host of heaven. Look to the One who created the stars, and numbers and names every one of them. That same God loves and cares for us, and knows every challenge we face. When we look to Him, we find what we need to go on. By seeing Him clearly, He will help us to see everything else the way He does. That’s why Simon could walk on water, as long as He stayed focused on Jesus, and not the threat of the wind and waves. It’s why the author of the book of Hebrews counsels us to look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, laying aside every weight and sin that slows us down. It’s all about what and who captures our attention. Lift up your eyes…

Lord, help us to lift up our eyes to You, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Gayle Bone, used by permission. Thanks, Gayle, and God bless you.