Daily Devotional

I grew up near a small town called Grass Valley. It started as a gold mining town and still has a historic downtown area. I spent a lot of time walking up and down these streets over the years. When my wife Megan and I were dating we were walking along the sidewalk under the overhangs of the various buildings. From this vantage point, most of the shops looked practically identical, a couple of storefront windows and a door with the name of the business. I had walked by these stores countless times and knew each and every one by memory. For some reason I had never really looked at them any other way.

As we were walking, Megan looked across the street at the buildings on the other side and said, “Look up at the tops of the buildings, it’s so pretty how different they all look.” Sure enough, most of the character of the buildings wasn’t seen by looking down below but by looking up higher. The rooflines were different, some had balconies, some didn’t, some had the name of the business that originally occupied the building in large letters. As we stood there admiring the beautiful and unique architecture, it seemed bizarre to me that I had been around these buildings my whole life and only really saw a small portion of what they were.

Sometimes in life, a change of perspective can do wonders and I believe the same is true of our faith. For those who have spent a great deal of time around Christianity there are likely elements of it that have grown very familiar. There’s nothing wrong with familiarity, but familiar isn’t all there is. Sometimes we have to remember that there’s more than meets the eye.
 
When we physically lift our eyes we can see things like trees, clouds, birds, the sun, or at night we can see the moon and stars. We can be reminded of the greatness and majesty of our Creator God. Where does our help come from? From the very One who created and sustains all that we see!

When we spiritually lift the eyes of our hearts, we can shift our focus off of the circumstances in front of us (however good or bad) and reorient them on the God who is greater. Where does our help come from? From the God who not only holds all things together but also intimately knows each of us and is always present.

 Don’t just keep your gaze on what’s right in front of you, lift your eyes up to gain a different point of view.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.