“Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are,” says Genesis 13:14, NIV.
I took this photo while I was on a plane. I was so relieved to see this sight after passing through thick clouds and rough air. As I always do during turbulence, I pray that we get through it quickly and safely so that the plane can go back to a smooth flight. God answered my prayers – the aircraft was flying smoothly again. Then suddenly, this beauty, captured in this photo, became evident. When I saw this astonishing sight, I immediately grabbed my camera (my phone) to capture this magnificent view that calmed my weary mind and body.
Seeing the horizon was breathtaking. It gave me a big relief and the assurance that everything was going to be okay. Sometimes, when you are in a spot that is unstable and covered in darkness, the horizon can become elusive. While passing through a dark zone, fear can often blind our eyes and keep us from appreciating the skyline that is just in the distance. Can you think of a situation when you felt this way? What lessons did you gain from that situation when you felt deprived of hopeful options? What if God forbid, a similar situation like that happens again? Are you equipped to handle it?
Appreciating a good thing during a bad time is not always easy. Often, it seems unimaginable to forecast a brighter outcome when you feel an overwhelming sense of darkness and danger. A restrictive reality enforced by trouble and chaos creates a space where it is very difficult and almost impossible to find the possibility of relief and rescue at the moment. Are you currently dealing with a restrictive situation undermining your ability to see the light at the end of the tunnel? Remember that the tunnel is not the end of the road. No matter how dark or treacherous it could feel, the tunnel is merely a passage you are passing through to get to your destination – a brighter side!
From God’s instructions to Abraham, let us glean, “lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are.” It offers a practical step to finding the horizon. By God saying, “Come outside and look up,” God is assuring Abraham then and us now that the horizon is out there to remind us of God’s promise to love and care for us, a promise that God’s light prevails over darkness, our faith in God overcomes fear, and the peace of Christ conquers any danger, even death. Pray that God gives you the focus of fixing your eyes on the horizon. Can you go beyond what your naked eyes can see to see God’s gift of a new beginning, a new possibility?
Prayer Song
Horizon by ICF Worship
There’s a new day coming, You are on my side
Where You go I go
Give me wings of courage, guide me with Your light
Where You go I go, where You go I go
And to dream out loud, to love without fear
Walk on the edge, knowing You are here
I wanna go further, beyond what I can see
Over the horizon, is where You’re taking me
I wanna live louder and shout across the land
Jesus forever, forever
I step into the unknown, on uncharted ground
I will trust in You
You are full of promise and Your word is true
I will trust in You, I will trust in You. Amen.
