Look Up!

When is the last time you looked up and noticed the sky?

In Psalm 19:1, the Psalmist tells us that the skies have a lot to teach us:

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” (NIV)

When we see the fire of a sunset or the brightness of a cloudless day it reminds us that there is a God who stands above it all—One who has created the world in all its scientific intricacy and in all its artistic beauty.

But not only do the skies teach us about God’s work in creation, they also teach us a lot about the way God works in our own lives. And so today I want to share with you 3 truths about God’s works that we can glean from looking at the skies.

There is beauty in the limits God has set for us.

At the beginning of each day, the sun rises in the sky. At the end of each day, the sun sets. These events mark the boundaries God has set on our days and our nights.

And just like there is beauty in sunrise and sunset, there is beauty and kindness in the boundaries He sets for us.

God knows that constantly working is not good for us. But also knows that He staying in bed 24/7 is equally unhealthy.

And so God—in wisdom and love—has graciously set those limits for us.

But you know, God has set other limits for us too—limits on what we look at, say and do as Christians.

So how would your actions change if you began to see beauty and kindness in those limits?

Sometimes God’s works are hidden from us.

Just like the sun is hidden from view on a cloudy day, sometimes God’s ways are hidden from us.

There are moments in life when we can’t see or understand what He’s doing—why He’s allowing suffering, why things haven’t gone according to our plans.

But one day Jesus will return riding on the clouds (Mark 13:26). And when we are in His full presence everything will make more sense.

We will see that even on the darkest days God was working behind the clouds to bring about His perfect plan for our lives.

So is there an area in your life where you can’t see God working? How could you look at that situation differently?

No one can predict God’s works.

How frequently does your weather station get the forecast wrong?

Pretty frequently, right?

So if we humans can’t predict weather patterns with 100% accuracy, what makes us think we can predict the details of our own futures?

Whether we realize it or not, people are constantly making predictions about the future.

In pride, they predict that they’re going to get rich.

In despair, they predict that the worst will happen.

The fact is, we base predictions like those on bad information—our feelings, our current circumstances and our own sinful desires.

So what do we do when we are faced with an uncertain future?

Remember this:

None of us can predict God’s works, but we can predict His character.

Hebrews 13:8 says that He is the same yesterday, today and forever!

So even though we can’t predict God’s works, we can trust them. Because we can trust Him.

So where do you find yourself making predictions—good or bad—about the future?

And how might you replace those with a “prediction” about God’s character?

Instead of saying:

“If my candidate doesn’t win this election, XYZ is going to happen!”

What if you said:

“If my candidate doesn’t win this election, God will still be sovereign and I can trust Him.”

Our future may be unknowable, but our God is knowable. And He has given us a tiny glimpse of His workings in the sky above us.

So don’t forget to look up!

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