~ Mick's Memo ~

Mick’s Memo—Eyes Up!

Forty years ago, around 1500 other young men and I took the oath of office at the U.S. Naval Academy and spent the summer learning how to march, shoot, sail, shine shoes, and generally conduct ourselves as members of the military.  One of the many constant reminders was “Eyes Up!”  We were to keep our eyes level and focused on what was happening around us.  The ancient Israelites had a group of songs that encouraged them to take similar action—the Songs of Ascent.  Found in Psalms 120-134, they were songs used as they marched in caravan style to the three annual feasts in Jerusalem.  Because the city was elevated over the approaches from all directions, no matter where you came from you “looked up” to Jerusalem as you approached.  One of the most recognizable of these songs starts like this…

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
       where does my help come from?

² My help comes from the LORD, 
      the Maker of heaven and earth.

                    Psalm 121:1-2 (NIV)

Looking up is a good idea.  When times are good and when times are not so good.  Looking to the power, majesty, loving-kindness, purity, and wisdom (the list could go on…) of God keeps us humble and appropriately dependent when success tempts us to wonder how much we need God.  It also helps us resist despair that can sometimes lurk in the shadows of our failures or hardships as we remember His sustaining strength and passion to see us restored. 

Looking up is a discipline to be cultivated and practiced.  Our ambitious pacing, countless distractions, and misplaced priorities tend to shift our focus off God and the eternal, and onto self and the immediate.  We have to practice looking up.  Look up at the heavens.  Look up at God in the portrait of the Scriptures.  Look up through intentional spiritual dialogue with brothers and sisters in Christ.  Look up through regular and heart-originated prayer.  Look up by listening for God’s direction for the day.  It’s not easy, but living with our head down is not easy either. 

The prophets we are studying this summer were looking up and urging others to look up.  This weekend we will study the prophetic writings in the book of Amos.  I encourage you to read the book before Sunday to enhance your interaction with the Scripture as we study it together.

Many thanks to the dedicated and skilled volunteers who worked on the “Bisha Project.”  Because of the turnout and hard work some jobs were added to the list on the spot.  Great job!!!

I hope to see you this weekend,

Blessings!

Mick