Faith Looks Up
"Sorrow looks back. Worry looks around. Faith looks up." This message was posted on a church sign in Lakewood, Washington. It caught my attention because there is so much truth in it. It also caught my attention because it is so easy to be overcome by sorrow or by worry and to lose out on the peace that comes with faith

One of the first stories that comes to mind in this regard is found in Exodus where we read about the Israelite people leaving Egypt. Even though their lives in Egypt had been lived as slaves, they start looking back at what they are missing almost immediately. "If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread" (Ex. 16:3). Rather than living by faith, the people continually look back on what they had in Egypt and long to go back.

At the same time, the people are looking around and worrying. They see only the wilderness, with no food, no water and the desert heat. Before that, they looked around and saw the Egyptians pursuing them and worried that they were trapped and were going to die (Ex. 14:10-11).

However, when the people finally do stop and look up, they see some amazing things. They see God leading them and accompanying them as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. They see manna - bread from heaven - being provided for them to eat. They see quails - meat to eat - also being provided from the hand of God. They see bitter water made sweet and a spring of water brought forth out of a rock in the desert. When they look up, they are able to live by faith and be at peace. However, when they look back and look around, they are full of sorrow and fear and worry.

In the same way, we are affected by where our attention is focused. Sorrow can threaten to overwhelm us when we spend all of our time looking back - especially if we are looking back on the things that we have lost. It is painfully easy to slip into sorrow over what could have been or what once was but is no more. Until we spend some time looking up - or, perhaps more accurately, looking at Jesus - we remain conscious only of our losses.

At the same time, looking around us can reveal to us many potential causes for worry - unless, of course, we are looking up and looking around at the same time! It is entirely possible to look around us and see the goodness and grace of God at work. It is also possible to look around us and see only the bad things and the causes for worry - and when we see those things without seeing God, worry can overwhelm us.

However, faith looks up. Faith looks to God for all that is needed and for direction along the way in the wilderness of this world. Faith looks to Jesus, who promised to give his peace to us and to be with us always (Jn. 14:27; Mt. 28:20). Faith recognizes that it might look like a wilderness, and we might not know exactly where we are going, but God does know and is leading the way.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you?. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid"(Jn. 14:27).

In Christ, Pastor Lynne Hutchison Moore