Cast Your Eyes Up to Heaven

We must learn to live on the heavenly side and look at things from above. To contemplate all things as God sees them, as Christ beholds them, overcomes sin, defies Satan, dissolves perplexities, lifts us above trials, separates us from the world and conquers fear of death.  A.B. Simpson

On the way to work today I was listening to a gospel song by Lyle Lovett.  When I first got in the car I was thinking about what I needed to do when I got to work and then there is my whole other to do list of things that need to get done away from work. Needless to say my thoughts weren’t on heaven.   

When the song came on I started listening to the lyrics and it struck me how true they are, so I hit repeat and listened to it and sang all the way to work.  There are a lot of hallelujahs but my favorite verse talks about when he was a baby sitting on his mama’s knee.  She told him, “Son, if you cast your eyes up to heaven, Heaven’s what you’ll see. 

I think that is an amazing lyric.  If we keep our gaze on the Father we’ll see Him.  Our gaze must be focused on Him or we lose sight of Him. There is a lot of sorrow, pain, hate and injustice in this world we live in.  I was watching the news this morning and there was a young woman who had a wreck and her car had flipped over.  Immediately following the wreck a man stopped and she thought he was going to help her.  He instead stole her wallet and left her in the car without helping her at all. 

I don’t know about you, but I am a whole lot tired of seeing people steal from others. I don’t have the answer for how to stop others from stealing your identity, car, wallet or anything else God gave you.  What I do know is that if you keep your eyes on Heaven; Heaven is what you’ll see. 

I love the last verse and stanza. 

Though I walk through
Death's dark valley
On that road of misery
I just keep my eyes on Heaven
Heaven is where I'll be.

Sing praise the Lord
Sing Hallelujah
Sing praise the Lord
Sing Hallelujah
Sing praise the Lord
Sing Hallelujah
I'm going to the place
Our Father has made

Written & performed by Lyle Lovett

We are walking in death’s dark valley right now.  Keep your eyes on Heaven and Heaven is what you’ll see. The thing we need to remember is Jesus always had His eyes on Heaven and the Father and we should too.   

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me this song that lifted me up on my way to work.  I was so immersed in my thoughts about what I thought I needed to do, that I lost sight of You.  Help me to keep my eyes on You so that Heaven is what I see.  “Sing Praise the Lord, Sing Hallelujah, I’m going to the place my Father has made.”

         

Scripture: Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.  John 17:1-5