But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
Psalms 3:3
If you are looking down at the ground all the time you will never see what is around you. The beauty; the ugliness, the colors; the grays, the love; the hate, the selflessness; the selfishness, help given to others; the hate. Your life will consist of the ground you are walking on, and yes you will not see the horrible things others say and do to their fellow humans, but you will also miss out on the good in the world.
You will miss out on living a life of any kind if you have consigned yourself to the singular view of the ground on which you stand. You may move forward, but the view will not change to show the fullness around you. You will not see the joys or challenges coming up next in your life. You will be consigned to the mundane.
This week, try a different approach. Take the Hand of God, lift up your head, and walk with Him. How do I walk with Him? Ephesians 2:10 "For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them." Read His word and follow its instruction. We are created by Him, for Him, to do good works so that others may see Him through our life. If you never look up you will not see the hands of your brothers raised in sorrow, pain, or lowliness. How, then, will you render aid?
We have a promise from Him about walking with Him and following His ways. Deuteronomy 5:13 says, " You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess." So, I would encourage you to take the Hand of God, lift up your head, and walk with him.
James Andrews, member Balboa Baptist Church
