comforter, the holy spirit, who is always with us.
How do we connect to the Grace that keeps us going?
There is a reason why the word “burdened” is always attached to the word “problem”. When we are burdened, we are pressed down and defeated. When we are defeated, we are always looking down. Our range of vision narrows to what the problem is - the pain, the confusion, the seemingly helplessness, and so on. I have discovered that when we are in the midst of whatever storms we are passing through, our range of vision narrows to what is happening all around us, and nothing else. It is a purely human response to situations. We are called to respond differently. We are called to look up. When we are in a storm, we should look up to the one who can silence the storm and who is bigger than the problem.
Think about it. When toddlers are playing and something disturbs or distresses them and they begin to cry, they do not look down or around them. They always look up and reach up to an adult or someone who is bigger and they rely on that person to comfort them, take them away from the problem, and make things right. In the same way, when we are in trouble, we need to look and reach up.
One of my favorite names to call God is,”the uncreated creator - the only one that can bring forth something out of nothing”. Not even the devil has the power to do that. In Jeremiah 32:27, God reminds us that he is the God of all flesh - ruler of all. He has never failed and has never lost a battle. He is the source of our blessings and the location of the solution to our problems. Do not take my word for it. Let's explore a few of many verses that tells us about looking up.
What does the Bible Say about Looking Up:
In several places in the bible, when God was about to deliver or bless someone or a miracle was about to happen, looking up was involved. Even the psalmist, David, who had a legendary relationship with God, tells us:
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
(Psalm 121: 1-2, NIV)