Where does real help really come from?

God, are you out there? Do you see me? Even at the ends of the earth, do you see me? I’m at the ends of the earth this week, and I’m lifting my eyes, and I’m seeing such great darkness and pain. Sometimes I don’t want to see what you show me. I’d rather cover my eyes and just look at my own stuff. It’s too much for my limited heart and hands. From where does real help come from?

With Psalm 121 imprinted in my heart and mind, I’ve looked to the hills in far off places like Romania, Chile, the Philippines, Thailand, and Albania as reminders of God’s ability to answer my needs and the needs of the world. Because He is powerful, we can have courage to lift our eyes and look to others.

• We look up and see the refugee.
• We look up and see victims of sex trafficking.
• We look up and see crumbling marriages.
• We look up and see prisoners of addiction.
• We look up and see sadness.

We look up and see hard things. Still, Jesus said “Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest,” (John 4:35). He wants us to trust Him enough to see needs up close and personal in those we love, those we know, and those at a distance. It’s okay. We can open our eyes, because we will see where help comes from.

See God’s power to provide

• The lie? I need to keep looking only at my problems, because it will help.
• The truth? If I lift my eyes, I see fields of people ready for God’s help too.
• The truth? If I lift my eyes, I see where my help comes from.

To see more than ourselves is to trust. We trust He will still care for our cares, even if we look away. We trust He will give help for the hurting we discover. Lifting our eyes is trusting God with what we look from and what we look to.

In my new life in the Northwest, I’ve found times of great refreshing. Some have been planned, like using a gift card at my new favorite coffee shop or walking along the Columbia River. Others have been planned by God as surprises to me, like sincere hugs from couples old enough to know what change looks like and to recognize the tracks on a face like mine. Other times, I’ve tasted words from afar like a cup of cold water (Proverbs 25:25).  God  helps us, and I’m so grateful.

We see God’s power to provide real help

• The hills remind us of God’s nature visible in creation. (Psalm 121)
• The stars remind us to look and see God’s power. (Isaiah 40:26)
• The heavens above and earth below show us God’s eternal power. (Isaiah 51:6)

The Enemy wants to keep us from seeing where help comes from. Help for our personal pain and for the darkest of the dark comes from the Lord. Real peace is found in fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. We look up and we know God is great enough to meet every need we see. Jesus cried, because our hurt hurt Him. Jesus died, because our needs grieved Him. Jesus gave, because our efforts could never satisfy. We can lift our eyes to see what Jesus shows us, because we can know He will help us. 

To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! (Psalm 123:1)