Thomas Manton explains, "Lifting up the eyes, implies faith and confident persuasion that God is ready and willing to help us." Psalm 123:1-4 reads, "Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the Lord our God, Until He has mercy on us. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled With the scorn of those who are at ease, With the contempt of the proud." Charles H. Spurgeon calls this "the Psalm of the eyes." Corrie ten Boom reportedly said: "If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you'll be at rest." Hebrews 12:2 reads, "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." In tough times remember to look up to the Lord.

Look up to the Lord to be validated. Psalm 37:5-6 reads, "Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday." This speaks of the Lord's validation of His saints. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 reads, "But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts."

Look up to the Lord to be vindicated. Psalm 135:14 reads, "For the Lord will judge His people, And He will have compassion on His servants." This speaks of the Lord's vindication of His saints. The Lord vindicated Job when He said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has" (Job 42:7b).

Look up to the Lord to be venerated. 1 Samuel 2:30b reads, "those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed." This speaks of the Lord's veneration of His saints. In John 12:26b Jesus reminds us, "If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor." Charles H. Spurgeon concludes, "Let us bear our share of this evil which still rages under the sun, and let us firmly believe that the contempt of the ungodly shall turn to our honour in the world to come: even now it serves as a certificate that we are not of the world, for if we were of the world the world would love us as its own."

Dear saints, may you boldly believingly look up to the Lord.

Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey, of Robertsdale, is the author of "Don't Miss the Revival! Messages for Revival and Spiritual Awakening from Isaiah"