Standing on our Tiptoes

I have traveled to many places, experienced many seasons, and endured many situations. My eyes have witnessed many heartbreaking, hurting, hungry, broken and neglected people.

And, quite opposite, I have also seen more beauty than I could ever put into adequate words. I have lifted my eyes to the hills of God and seen His magnificent creation — both in people and His world.

And in all I have seen – good and bad — 1 Corinthians 2:9 gives us hope: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

We know that suffering is an unavoidable part of our stories. It shouldn’t surprise us. But when it comes to us, how do we deal with it? How do we persevere? When massive waves are swirling around us, how do we keep from going under? When wars, rumors of wars, heartache and brokenness abound, how do we find peace? We find it on our tiptoes.

As Carl and I maneuvered our way through to our airplane, then hunkering down for other passengers to board, we listened to Max Lucado giving the most comforting and sound advice.

“On the eve of Jesus crucifixion, He told His followers to not give in to fears with these words from John 14:1,2: “Do not let not your heart be troubled: believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. If I go, I will come back to take you to be with me.”

“Jesus lifted their eyes to look away from their immediate fears to Him. He calmed their fears with those words. What would Jesus say to this troubled generation and the times we are in today. Getting a right perspective is critical — lifting our eyes upward to God rather than outward to our circumstances or inward to ourselves.

We can’t remind ourselves of these truths too often. Never should we forget that God loves us. He is watching over us. He knows how long and how much we can endure. What we’re going through will not last forever. And whatever kind of suffering we may be facing — whether we have something we don’t want or we’re wanting something we don’t have — God will see us through.

And we will make it through when we take on a kind of heavenly, right-sized perspective that will give us grace, courage, and stamina to carry on. We must look up! We must remind our hearts that for every child of God, in every circumstance, the best really is yet to come. Our hope for a joyful future is not in solutions to our temporary problems — but in the assurance that:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).”

Thanks, Max! Dear Lord, please teach us to STAND ON OUR TIPTOES and look to YOU, from where help comes. May we confidently trust Your divine plan. Thank You for the unshakable hope that You are preparing a future for us, more wonderful than we can imagine. Amen!