Some years ago I had the blessing of visiting Spain. One sight I saw many times in the countryside were shepherds walking with their sheep. It was the typical picture I’d seen only in paintings – the sheep all herded together, baa-ing and bleating, while the shepherd walked, a bit stooped over as he cared for them and guided them. The shepherd bends over so the sheep can look up.
It’s so easy for us to let the cares that surround us cause our hearts and heads to be bowed down, isn’t it? All we have to say is 2020, and everyone nods. We get it. This hard year has often caused my own heart and head to be bowed down. Just this week I’ve heard of these hard things…
- Emergency appendectomy
- Reconstructive surgery following cancer
- Covid outbreaks
- Cancellations of long-awaited plans
- People who are isolated and lonely
- Stressed-out mom, worn down emotionally
But wait, little sheep! We have a Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Who carefully watches over us. He bends His ear to our cries and He reaches out to guide and comfort us in our heartache. Proverbs 2:8 reminds us that He preserves the paths of His saints. The Lord IS shepherding us, but we have a responsibility. We find it in Psalm 121 ~
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Did you catch it in verse one? I will – This signifies that the psalmist makes a choice of his will (a volitional choice) to look up to God. How often when faced with a test, trial or affliction, I choose to look down in self-pity or around at adverse circumstances, rather than gazing upward to my Omnipotent Father!
This also indicates that the psalmists recognizes that man continually stands in need of and dependence on the Lord’s help. He waits — he expects — he obtains. The truest vision is soul-vision. Looking up in contemplation, expectation. He looks “Up,” from the mud and mire of earth, and the sins and sorrows of self.
What “mud pit” are you looking up from today? Sickness? Disappointment? Loss? Grief? Sin? Hardship? We each need to have a little personal dialogue like the psalmist had and say, “I Will Look Up!” This isn’t just some kind of psycho babble…this is based on doctrine…on His Word here in Psalm 121. He is your keeper. He will preserve (keep) your going out and coming in. Our Shepherd is bent over us. That means we can look up to Him! He will care for us, provide for us and lead us home.
When the out -look is bleak
Remember the up -look.
The Good Shepherd is the One who made those hills, and He hasn’t forgotten you! Look up!
RefreshHer 
Amen!
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Thank you, Denise. God does so much for us, but there are things we need to do such as looking up to Him as our Helper and trusting Him to keep His Word. I appreciate your encouragement here. With all that is swirling around us, it feels so important to take one day at a time remembering that His mercies are new every morning.
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Thank you so much for this great reminder today! I substituted me and my for thou and thee. Wonderful reminder of who our shepherd is, and great encouragement!
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Hello, Ms. Denise. I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate this blog post. I have followed your blog off and on for quite a while and so many of your post have been a real encouragement to me especially with my relationship with the Lord and also my husband and children. I am a wife of 26 years and have 5 children ages 17 down to 2. The Lord has been so good to me, but I struggle a lot with trusting Him, looking to Him and knowing that He’s there to help me. I seem to have some issues with depression off and on as well, but again I think it is because I don’t know God as I should following Him in all areas of my life. My relationships with my husband and children are not what they should be, mainly being my fault. But I look at how I have failed instead of changing the here and now. Well, I didn’t mean to ramble on I just wanted to say how your blog has helped me in many ways and challenged me as a child of God, wife, and mother. I should just be obedient to what you have shared and what I know to do!! Thank you so much!!
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Michelle, thank you for leaving this precious comment, and thank you for your honesty. Proverbs 8 reminds us that “Blessed are they that keep my ways.” Blessing comes after obedience. I encourage you to get alone with the Lord and be honest with Him. Confess where you have not obeyed and then ask Him for strength to do the next right thing. Philippians 2:13 says that God works in us to WILL and to DO His good pleasure. Yield yourself to Him and allow Him to guide your next step of obedience. I will be praying for you and your sweet family. 💓
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Thank you again for this encouragement and the scriptures, just what I needed to hear!! You are right on target with what I NEED to do. My lack of obedience has caused many consequences in my life with my husband and children as far as our relationships go. I’ve let it go for several years now putting a wedge farther between us. I, too, look at others lives and wish me and my family could be like that, I don’t mean to do that and it is not right to do this!! I have lost much ground with my life and relationships, I pray God can help me to turn around and be what I NEED to be. AGAIN thanks so much for your posts to help and encourage woman like me!! And thank you so much for your prayers. I sure need it!!!
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