Westside Church of Christ

It was an artistic masterpiece of a day. It was the work of the expert Creator. The skies were a mix of blue with splashes of white and gray clouds. A gentle breeze blew as the temperature soared in the 70’s. It is the middle of winter as we strolled through the neighborhood marveling at God’s creation. The birds added the music that made it perfection. The sights and sounds took my spirits as high as the sky. Then, I saw her.

Her face was staring down at nothing but pavement. The Lord’s amazing handiwork surrounded her, but she never looked. Earphones blocked out the natural melodies of the feathered singers. It was an unmatched symphony that she chose not to hear. She never looked up or opened her ears and missed it all. She wore it on her face. She simply looked sad.

Her attention was riveted downward. God’s glory was displayed upward. The seraphim pronounced it in the temple and shook Isaiah to his core (Isaiah 6). The king had died, but God had not. The human throne might have been empty, but the King of kings sat majestically on the spiritual one. He reigned. He always has and always will. The earth bears witness to His glory, and He remains holy, holy, holy.

Where are our eyes? Are they staring at the trouble spots around the globe? There are plenty of those; here, there, and everywhere. Heaven knows that they can get a good person down. We recognize our helplessness in the face of it all. Even our own shortcomings can be discouraging. Never looking beyond the human condition taints our hearts with sadness that begs for a solution. There is one if we will just look up.

Isaiah felt not only the sting of his own guilt but also that of his contemporaries. He felt ruined, but the episode did not end there. He received a message of redemption. His sin was taken away. It is the continual message of our Lord. Genesis to Revelation tells it, and we must hear it. Our attention must be lifted upward, above the sin-stained surroundings in which we live. Continually staring down at the dirt will ultimately drag us down with it.

There are many situations and circumstances that mesmerize us. The twenty-four-hour news cycle bombards us with plenty of options to discourage us and make us sad. The two on the road to Emmaus were wearing that same emotion on their face when they ran into Jesus (Luke 24). They didn’t know that He was alive. Everything changed when they found out. We have that same information. He died for our sins and rose again. He lives today at God’s right hand interceding for us. Christians are forgiven and homeward-bound. That is something to look upward about, but we are free to focus wherever we choose.

Call to Praise: Acts 2:36-42

His word on it: Psalm 103:12

Sermon: “Our Lord and Savior”