Keep Looking Up

    

When Jesus' ministry on this earth was finished, He was assumed into Heaven.  That was His home.  He had been there before.  He was going back.  Those who had been with Him on the Earth stood on Mount Olivet and "were gazing into the heavens as He went."  That is a good place to be, i.e., gazing into heaven -- "looking up".

     Gazing animals find their security in looking down.  Their sustenance is downward looking.  Human beings find their sustenance in "looking up."  We instinctively know that what is basic is looking up.

     When we are depressed, someone says, "Keep looking up".  When you look up, you are looking over and beyond the pain and distress of the world.  When you look up, you are looking to the Source of all that is good, loving, and kind:  you are breaking loose from that which holds you back and often defeats you.

     "Looking up" is always good advice.  It is what Jesus told us to do.  Look up, scan, be alert.  He is coming again.  He will come from Heaven "in the same way as you saw Him go into Heaven".  Jesus has promised He will return.  When He comes, evil, pain, sorrow, and hurt will be over.  All things will be righted.

     When you are down--look up.  That direction is the hope of all mankind.

Open Tomb Gives A Promise of Life

          I died this morning.  All the other mornings of my life I awakened to demands and deadlines.  There was always something.  Many times it was the demands of another.  Frequently it was the distress of a hurting world; hunger, poverty, sorrow, pain.  Previous days were promises.  Anticipation of the next day that would be better.  Days that were full of joy and delight but just didn’t fully make it.  Some days were grim.  But each grim day had the potential to bloom and become.

The most promising day was a Sunday when a tomb was opened and the Son of God came forth in a new eternal life.  That day opened up all the other days to great possibilities and the victories over each succeeding day.  He came out of the tomb and the tomb of my own consequence was opened so that each of my days were set free from what was and had the potential of what could be.        That one spectacular promising day made all the days of my life speak of what could be and gave me a taste of what would be.  That promising day arranged that all my days would be victorious days.

I knew there should be more.  I know there would be more.  I lived each day knowing that whatever I experienced there was better to come.  All was incomplete.  The complete was a future day.

That one spectacular promising day arranged it.  Nothing could hinder, nothing could curtail the promised coming victory.

I died this morning, I knew it was forthcoming.  I lived through all the travail of sin and shame knowing it was ahead and because of that promised open tomb day I am totally free to be who I was designed to be – to live as I am designed to live – no pain, no sorrow, no agony – all the Lord has planned for me.  I have it as I knew I would because my Savior came forth, conquering all that the world’s days demanded.  The tomb has lost.  I have won.  I live.  I died this morning to my sinful self.  (Colossians 3:3-4)