Your Miracles Come from Looking Up

I didn’t realize it until a friend pointed it out, but do you know how important the word “up” is in the Bible? So many miracles in the Bible involve the idea of something moving or looking or rising up.  As the Israelites were fighting the Amalekites, they would win as long as Moses held his arms up (Exodus 17:11-13).  An ax head that a man had borrowed fell in the river and he was distraught.  So instead of reaching down in the water, Elisha threw a stick in and the ax head floated up (2 Kings 6).  The sound of trumpets was raised up before the walls of Jericho fell down (Joshua 6).  Besides miracles, so many of the verses we turn to for comfort involve looking up and so many moments of praise are directed up.  In fact, the word “up” is used 2,380 times in the Bible, not to mention how often we see things being lifted and raised.  Knowing that, I decided to look into just what that word “up” might mean in our lives.

Psychologically and spiritually, “up” is an important idea. 

All praise and prayers seem to be referred to as rising up.  And even when people fall at the feet of Jesus, He often lifts them up.  He told the lame man to take up his bed and walk.  He had the woman caught in adultery stand up.  Even in our darkest moments when we have collapsed to our knees, our prayers are said to rise up like incense (Psalm 141:2). Does this all mean that God only dwells above us in some distant heaven?  No.  God is all present in all directions.  But psychologically and spiritually, “up” is an important idea.  Up stands for confidence and happiness and hope.  It is a sign of victory and power when we stand with our head held high.  Up is the direction of our sanctification and of the exaltation of Jesus – He is high and lifted up (Isaiah 57:15).  Down is the direction of defeat, depression, and desolation.  Unfortunately, in our broken world, we are constantly being brought down.  We experience fear, hurt, betrayal, and loss, and we are brought low.  The devil does his best to put as many downers as possible in our lives.

Jesus was lifted up, so that He could be raised up, so that He could bring us up to where He is. 

That is why the most important “up” miracle is the miracle of the cross.  Do you realize how many ways Jesus could have been put to death?  Not many of them would result in Him being lifted up.  In fact, most of them would involve Him falling down to the ground somehow.  But the prophets foretold that He would be lifted up for the sins of mankind centuries before the crucifixion.   Jesus asked His mother Mary to look up at Him on the cross.  He said, “Woman, behold your son.”  But it wasn’t just a message to Mary – it was a message to everyone.  He was saying, “Look up and behold the seed that crushed the serpent’s head.”  He is asking us to look up and acknowledge that He already won the war against sin.  He defeated everything Satan would try to accomplish.  And He did it at no cost to us, other than our need to look up and accept His free gift.  And that is the ultimate “up” miracle. Jesus was lifted up, so that He could be raised up, so that He could bring us up to where He is. 

Until you can offer what holds you down to the One who can raise you up, you will always be stuck. 

So how do you turn your gaze up?  I think it starts with a combination of self-reflection and setting priorities.  Sometimes we have to look inward before we can look upward.  We have to do some self-reflection to find the things that keep us chained to looking down.  Is there something inside you that keeps you down and burdened?  Do you have a voice in your head that is always bringing you down – always telling you that you are not good enough or talented enough or valuable enough?  Have there been so many people in your life speaking words over you to minimize you and make you less, that you have internalized it and made it your identity?  I can relate!  We need to identify those feelings, those lies we tell ourselves, those voices we have heard all our life.  We need to fearlessly name them and expose them to ourselves.  We need to feel the feelings we have always wanted to feel about it all, but didn’t.  And then, we need to open up and lift it up.  Until you can offer what holds you down to the One who can raise you up, you will always be stuck. 

In all of these things, remember to constantly be lifting your heart up to God.

There are so many great ways to do this – journaling, talking with a trusted friend or family member, and unbelievable amounts of books, videos and websites on healing your emotional wounds and negativity.  Prayer and quiet time in communion with God is priceless.  Sometimes so is finding a good Christian counselor to talk with.  Then you need to start replacing those thoughts and beliefs about yourself with the ones that God created you with.  You need to claim the value that He put on you.  Talk about priceless – He sent His Son to die for you!  In all of these things, remember to constantly be lifting your heart up to God.  He is the ultimate healer.

We need to prioritize looking up and lifting up. 

Second, we need to prioritize.  We need to examine our lives.  Who are the people in life that build you up?  Keep them close and love them well.  Anyone who cannot value you for who you are has no place walking beside you.  What are the activities that fill you up?  Do more of those.  Facebook and Twitter have been shown to cause depression, whereas taking a walk outside in the air and sunshine elevates your mood.  Spend less time looking down at your phone and more looking up at God’s creation or any other activities that draw your mind to Him and bring you joy.  What daily spiritual practices do you do that keep you focused up?  That one-verse-a-day app is great, but it isn’t enough to keep you looking up.  You need to open the Bible and spend some quality time, even if your time is limited.  Are your prayers a checklist or are they a conversation?  We need to send our true hearts up in prayer and spend some time waiting silently to hear God’s reply.  We can all do better about prioritizing looking up and lifting up. 

Miracles happened when people had already been walking with an attitude of looking up in faith.

I struggle to do these things every day.  Sometimes, the things that bring me down win for a while.  Sometimes, I don’t have the heart or energy to look up.  God knows this – He provided His Holy Spirit to intercede and look up in prayer for us even in these times.  Even on days when you can’t actively focus upward, the Holy Spirit gives you the faith to carry on until you can look up again.  And not only that, God will send you help.  All of those “up” miracles?  They happened when people had already been walking with an attitude of looking up in faith.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” 

Psalm 121:1-2

Looking down, looking outward, even looking inward are all part of life.  But they aren’t what ultimately transform your life.  Miracles happen when you look upward.  I love the verses in Psalm 121:1-2 because they remind me which direction my focus should be, and of the greatness of God’s creation:  “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”  And I would add my peace, my joy, my assurance, my healing, and, maybe even sometimes, my miracles come, too. I can’t wait to hear what changes happen in your life from looking up! 

I hope today’s message touched your heart, increased your understanding, and encouraged you.  Praying the peace and comfort of Christ Jesus on your life.