Where Are We Looking?

"To look around is to be distressed;
To look within is to be depressed;
To look up is to be blessed."

The Swallow first heard the above quote at her weekly BSF a couple of months ago.  It encouraged her to stay the course even though at that time, she was going through some trying times.  The quote rings true.

When she looks around, there are news of fires, floods, earthquakes, and news of man's decay.

When she looks within, she sees her sinful nature which struggles against doing the right thing and obeying the Lord God.

When she looks up to the Lord God, she sees...

• His sovereignty - He is always in control, no matter what happens around her
• His patience - He is forgiving, waiting patiently for her to realize the wrongs she is doing
• His grace - undeserving mercy for her; not bringing judgement upon her for all the times she did wrong whether in ignorance or disobedience

But most of all, she sees His love...

• the love of God the Father - when He gave up His own beloved Son, the Lord Jesus; when He had to turn away from His Son as the Lord Jesus carried the sins of the world upon His shoulders.
• the love of God the Son - when He gave up Heaven's glory, came down to earth to be rejected by His own people, set His face to the cross, went through suffering and rejection by His own Father so that men's broken relationship with the Lord God can be restored again; when He promised the gift of a Helper, in the form of God the Spirit, so that she need not ever be alone.
• the love of God the Spirit - residing in her heart; prompting her whenever she is unsure; helping her to see everything in the world in the right context.

Yes, to look up to the Lord God is to be blessed.