The world without God plows through life seeking to solve all problems with a multitude of manmade solutions. And when finally they come upon problems to which their efforts are without success, they despair and fall into depression. All they had to do at the end of their rope, was to look up to Him, Who alone can do "abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to His power". (Ephesians 3:20)
We as believers in Christ readily agree that the unbelieving world needs to look up to God alone for the answers, yet even so, we, too, fail to ask Him, if needs be, every moment, for help in our daily walk. We should be even more ashamed that as followers of Christ and believers in the One true Creator God, we struggle in life issues without stopping to get on our knees in humble appeal to our Father above. Prayer is the most important work a believer is to be engaged. We are completely dependent on God's power to accomplish His work in our lives, no matter where we may find ourselves at present.
The importance of "looking up" really came home to me today as I began work on getting rid of unwanted growth at the bottom of my property. Privet hedge, while an ornamental for some, is a complete nuisance for me. And I will add that it is a most hearty and invasive "weed". As I began my exterminating process using a small saw, I was energetic and optimistic of my great goal. The wood is soft and I thought it would be a breeze. However, it became very tedious and time-consuming. At the beginning, I saw a few choice plants that had been crowded out. I had not even seen them until I was right on them. I wanted to save them! I wanted them to stand out; not to be hindered and smothered by the privet.
In the area I was working, there were only three choice plants. I began to cautiously saw because it was very grown up and I was afraid of snakes. However, the more confident I became, the closer to the ground I went until I was finally lying on the ground sawing feverishly. At first I had been calculated, looking up to see what I was doing. However, as I began to lie on the ground, I quit looking up. Low and behold as I felled bush after bush, one came down that was not a privet! It was, in fact, one of the three choice trees, I was trying to save. My heart sank at my own stupidity for not continuing to think through my choices by making sure they were right.
How like prayerless believers who try to fix their own problems with manmade efforts instead of crying out to the One who has the answers and the power. Let us remember our Creator daily, not just in the asking but in the joyful thankfulness and love expressed to Him in prayer. Prayer is our communication with Him. We look up to Him, not because we feel like it and not to experience some emotional high, but to express trust in His divine guidance of our lives. It's not about feelings, but about dependence and He is never unavailable! Let us not plow through life in our own strength and then regret a loss of something precious because we failed to ask God for direction. Look up, praise His holy Name and seek His guidance.
