Look Up

 

Have you ever felt trapped, as if you were completely surrounded by solid cement? Like your options were limited, your possibilities were cut off, and there was simply no room to move?

While walking through our church parking lot recently, I saw a tiny plant that made me stop in my tracks. Surrounded on all sides by asphalt and concrete, it hadn't just survived—it was thriving and in full bloom. Unable to spread outwards, it grew straight up, bursting with vibrant flowers from a microscopic crack that held barely a pinch of soil.

If you feel stuck in a hard place today, that little plant carries a powerful reminder. When the world presses in on every side, there is always one direction left open: up.

Scripture continuously redirects our gaze upward:

Psalm 121:1–2: "I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth!"

Isaiah 40:26: "Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing."  

Luke 21:28: "So when all these things begin to happen, stand up and look up, for your salvation is near!"

Why does the Bible place so much emphasis on looking up? Because the world around us often feels cold, hard, and restrictive. Looking horizontal only shows us our barriers. But looking up reminds us of the God who created the heavens, spoke the stars into existence, and intimately designed you.

As Psalm 139:13–16 reminds us:

"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book; every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."  

When you feel confined by your circumstances, fix your eyes on the Creator who knows you completely and holds your story. In His care, even the tightest places can't hold you back—there is always room to grow, and always room to bloom. Look up.

-Pastor Patti