Lifting Hearts And Hands

by PRASHER, G. | Category: Focus | Jan 2002

'I will lift up my eyes to the hills -

From whence comes my help?

My help comes from the LORD,

Who made heaven and earth.' (Psalm 121:1,2)

'Lift up your eyes on high,

And see who has created these things,

Who brings out their host by number;

He calls them all by name.

By the greatness of His might

And the strength of His power;

Not one is missing.' (Isaiah 40:26)

The eye of faith is lifted up to perceive the greatness and power of God in the things He has made - in the mountains, symbolic of His eternal strength and majesty; in the myriad galaxies, expressing His infinite wisdom, power and faithfulness. In the above quotations the authors reflect the reassurance of looking by faith beyond all earthly circumstance to find in the eternal God Himself our protection and spiritual strength. Psalm 121 brings home His remarkable ability and willingness to protect and direct us individually lifelong. Through Isaiah God encouraged His people when threatened by far mightier nations. In His sight 'the nations are as a drop in the bucket, and are counted as the small dust in the balance' (Isaiah 40:15).

How appropriate that we, too, as we enter another year, should afresh 'lift up our eyes on high.' In sending warm New Year greetings to our readers in North America and the West Indies, Europe and Africa, Australasia and Asia, we realize that all have cause for concern about the present world situation. There are the great international problems, including war on terrorism, unresolved tensions in the Middle East, Kashmir and elsewhere, and the threat of global economic recession. In many areas the levels of alcohol and drug abuse, racial and religious hatred, sexually transmitted disease and violent crime all make for instability and a sense of insecurity. Yet still today the believer's help comes from the LORD who made heaven and earth - to Him let us continually lift up our eyes!

Uplifted hearts and hands

'Let us search out and examine our ways,

And turn back to the LORD;

Let us lift our hearts and hands

To God in heaven.' (Lamentations 3:40,41)

Jeremiah wrote these words in the shadow of his country's disastrous defeat by the Chaldeans. Jerusalem lay waste, thousands had been slaughtered and thousands more taken into exile. The prophet and those with him who feared the LORD felt deeply their need to seek Him earnestly - to lift up their hearts and hands to God. In troublous times do we not also instinctively feel the need for self-examination before Him, that if there is cause for correction and chastisement we might respond in true exercise of heart and find the promised forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:9)?

The lifting up of our hearts and hands to God is from another standpoint invaluable at such a time as this. Witness the upheld hands of Moses on the hilltop as he pleaded for Israel in their conflict with Amalek (Exodus 17:9-13). Christian influence through prayer on behalf of 'kings and all who are in authority' is clearly taught in 1 Timothy 2:2. Interestingly in that context the apostle writes: 'I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands' (verse 8). Is this an echo of the vivid lesson from Moses' upheld hands? In serving the 'counsel of God' throughout Year 2002 may we be granted grace to fulfil a ministry of upheld holy hands on behalf of a world in crisis!

Lift up your heads

It was the Lord Jesus who said to His apostles: 'Now when these things begin to happen look up and lift up your heads because your redemption draws near' (Luke 21:28). Already in today's world we see developing trends towards the end-time scenario so vividly depicted in the Book of Revelation and other prophetic areas of Scripture. In God's wisdom times and seasons are not disclosed (Acts 1:7), but many remarkable recent happenings do stimulate a heightened expectation of the Master's return. Not that His return to the air for His Church depends on further end-time signs or political developments. If throughout Year 2002 we have uplifted eyes, hearts and hands, we'll 'walk tall' spiritually 'lifting up our heads' because our redemption is nigh, and attuned to the apostle John's lovely desire, 'Even so, come, Lord Jesus' (Rev. 22:20).

PRASHER, G. | Jan 2002
Focus