Keep Looking Up

Thursday, September 28, 2017

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”

Colossians 3:1–4

The evangelist D. L. Moody told a story about an elderly Christian lady who was noted in her church for her cheerful spirit, even though illness had confined her to her bed. One day two friends went to visit the rundown building where she lived in the attic. One of them remarked on the darkness and dirt of the second floor, but the other said, “It’s better higher up.” By the time they reached the third landing, the woman said, “Things look even worse here.” But her friend simply repeated, “It’s better higher up.” When they finally reached the room, they found a smiling woman in the bed. The room was tiny and cramped, and one of the visitors said, “It must be very difficult for you to be here like this.” The woman in the bed replied, “It’s better higher up!”

The Lord does not promise us a life without problems when we become His children. Instead He promises grace, peace, and strength for every challenge. He does care about our struggles and burdens, but His focus (as ours should be) is primarily on the eternal. The Apostle Paul, who experienced great persecution and suffering wrote, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). Our task is to keep our focus on what really matters, and keep looking up. If our hearts are fixed on Heaven, the burdens of life will be lessened.

Today's Growth Principle
A Christian who is focused on Heaven will not be discouraged by the circumstances of life.

Old Testament Reading

Isaiah 7-8

CHAPTER 7

¹ And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it. ² And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. ³ Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field; ⁴ And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. ⁵ Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying, ⁶ Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal: ⁷ Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass. ⁸ For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people. ⁹ And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.

¹⁰ Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying, ¹¹ Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. ¹² But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD. ¹³ And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. ¹⁵ Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. ¹⁶ For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.

¹⁷ The LORD shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father's house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria. ¹⁸ And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. ¹⁹ And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes. ²⁰ In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard. ²¹ And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep; ²² And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land. ²³ And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it shall even be for briers and thorns. ²⁴ With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns. ²⁵ And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.

CHAPTER 8

¹ Moreover the LORD said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz. ² And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah. ³ And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz. ⁴ For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria. ⁵ The LORD spake also unto me again, saying, ⁶ Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son; ⁷ Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks: ⁸ And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.

⁹ Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. ¹⁰ Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us. ¹¹ For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, ¹² Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. ¹³ Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. ¹⁴ And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ¹⁵ And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

¹⁶ Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. ¹⁷ And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. ¹⁸ Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion. ¹⁹ And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? ²⁰ To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. ²¹ And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward. ²² And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.

New Testament Reading

Ephesians 2

CHAPTER 2

¹ And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; ² Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: ³ Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, ⁵ Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) ⁶ And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: ⁷ That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

¹¹ Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; ¹² That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

¹⁴ For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; ¹⁵ Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; ¹⁶ And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: ¹⁷ And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. ¹⁸ For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. ¹⁹ Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; ²⁰ And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; ²¹ In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: ²² In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Proverbs Reading

Proverbs 29

¹ He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. ² When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. ³ Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance. ⁴ The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it. ⁵ A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet. ⁶ In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare: but the righteous doth sing and rejoice. ⁷ The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it. ⁸ Scornful men bring a city into a snare: but wise men turn away wrath. ⁹ If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest. ¹⁰ The bloodthirsty hate the upright: but the just seek his soul. ¹¹ A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards. ¹² If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked. ¹³ The poor and the deceitful man meet together: the LORD lighteneth both their eyes. ¹⁴ The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established for ever. ¹⁵ The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. ¹⁶ When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall. ¹⁷ Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul. ¹⁸ Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. ¹⁹ A servant will not be corrected by words: for though he understand he will not answer. ²⁰ Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him. ²¹ He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length. ²² An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression. ²³ A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. ²⁴ Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not. ²⁵ The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. ²⁶ Many seek the ruler's favour; but every man's judgment cometh from the LORD. ²⁷ An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.