WHAT DO I SEE

FROM UP HERE

Part Two

As we continued our flight across the country and back, watching out the airplane window, not only did I observe the clouds drifting across the sky and the great thunderheads forming in the distance, but I saw below the floating clouds, cities, roads, rivers, green fields.  I saw large cities and small towns.  From up here they look like small toys.  When flying at night, I observed the twinkling lights of great cities, such as Los Angeles and Los Angeles, County.

I began to think about the millions of people down there and across our country.  The people down there were going about their business and their daily lives, with all their heartache and struggles, unmindful of the jet above the clouds, and someone looking down on their world.  But God looks down on their world, as He is the “God Who Sees.”  The Bible calls Him EL ROI.  (Genesis 16:13-14)

 The LORD looks down from heaven;

He sees all humankind.

From where He sits enthroned He watches

All the inhabitants of the earth,

He who fashions the hearts of them all,

And observes their deeds . . .

Truly the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,

On those who hope in His steadfast love,

To deliver their soul from death,

And to keep them alive in famine.

Psalm 33:13-15, 18-19 (NSRV)

My heart was moved, as I was reminded also that My Savior died for each and every one down there.  He died for every man, woman and child, no matter what the circumstance of their lives, or where they lived, or in what condition they found themselves in.  My Savior died on that cross, suffering in agony, for them, for this world.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosover believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but the world through Him might be saved” John 3:16-17.

I was also mindful that down there, under those clouds, and behind those twinkling lights, were people in pain, people in grief.  I am sure there were people at gravesites of a beloved loved one, and wondering “why?”  There were people at bedsides in hospitals and nursing homes, or in hospice situations, watching a loved one slip away.  There were people in dire circumstances, victims of abuse, wounded people without hope.  In this country, there are churches on “every corner” it seems.  Yet I have known people and heard stories of people who didn’t know who Jesus was.

I worked with a lady once who only knew the name “Jesus,” as a swear word.  She had never heard the gospel story of Jesus and no one in her family had ever been Christians as far as she knew.  I had a wonderful chance to tell her about the Living Lord Jesus who loved her.  I heard a story recently from a speaker who shared that he and his wife had befriended a young lady at Christmas time, and she had never heard the story of Jesus’ birth nor anything about Him.  They had the wonderful privilege of leading her to Jesus.  I wonder how many more are out there in this country, who have never heard about Jesus?  It breaks my heart, as Jesus loves them so much.

Are you one of those hurting ones today?  Do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?  Do you feel empty and lost inside.  Jesus came to die just for you and to give you eternal life in Heaven with Him and He desires a living personal relationship with you.  He is waiting with open arms to receive you.  All you have to do is ask Him to come into your heart and forgive your sins.

But what does it say?  “The word is near you, in your mouth in in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):  that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.  Romans 10:9-10, 13.

If you love Jesus, but find yourself in difficult situations, with seemingly no end in site on the path just ahead, look up, my friend, there is Jesus, with open arms waiting to just enfold you in His arms, arms of comfort and peace. “Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” Matthew 11:28-30.

A yoke is a heavy wooden harness that fits over the shoulders of an ox or oxen.  It is attached to the equipment the oxen will pull.  You may be carrying a heavy burden of sin, depression, grief, weariness, anger.  Jesus came to free of those burdens.  Jesus’ rest is love, healing and peace with God.  If you give your life to Jesus, you partner with Jesus in a shared yoke.  The weight of that yoke is falling on bigger shoulders than yours.  So let Him heal you, let Him give you His peace, let Jesus share the yoke with you.

I observed much more from high in the sky, much of which God is still revealing to me through His Word, and I will continue on sharing my thoughts on the world below the clouds.  And oh, the awesome picture of the sun setting above the clouds!

“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace”  Numbers 6:24-26.

In His Name,

Pastor Sharon