Lamentations 3:25-27, How great your faithfulness! I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over). He’s all I’ve got left. God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It’s a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God…” (MSG)
Alex is the director for the outreach team at his church. One year, several of his team members were all driving together to an evangelism explosion out of state. They were in two cars, but stayed in touch by means of walkie-talkies. At a couple of points, one of the men in the car behind him pointed out a hawk that he spotted soaring gracefully over them. They saw several of them, actually, on this particular trip. ‘Now, when you see a hawk or an eagle’ Alex said, ‘it’s kind of always an event for a city boy like me’. But then Alex friend Terry said, "Well, I just saw a dead coyote on the shoulder." As their walkie-talkie conversations went on during that trip, that wasn't the last hawk Alex saw – nor was it the last road kill that Terry saw. I guess whether you see soaring hawks or dead coyotes depend on where you're looking and what you’re looking for.
Some of us have this amazing ability to miss out on the most beautiful things going on around us because we only focus on seeing the ugly or even the dead. For instance, some folks see mostly what's right with people and with their situation - others just can't help focusing on what's wrong. And it really does depend on where you choose to look - up or down. And in the end, it all boils down to choice…whether you look up or down, or focus on what’s good or what’s bad, either way it is always your choice.
Alex and Terry were on an evangelism mission; therefore, you would think they would already have their focus on what’s good, positive, great, uplifting. But you had two men, traveling down the same road, but seeing two very different outlooks. Alex was focused on the soaring hawks, Terry was focused on the dead coyotes…which are you focusing on?
The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah knew what it was to see the ‘dead coyotes’ - until he chose to look up and see those ‘soaring hawks’ that is. Both perspectives are evident in Lamentations 3, beginning in verses 19-20. First, he saw, the ‘dead coyotes’ – the Bible reads: “Just thinking of my troubles and my lonely wandering makes me miserable. That’s all I ever think about, and I am depressed.” (CEV). Another translation reads: "I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me." (NIV). That word “downcast” is defined as “to have eyes that continually look downwards; to be low in spirit; to be bowed down; distressed; troubled; uneasy; worried; hopeless; disappointed; discouraged; agonized; anguished; weeping; bleak; desolate; dreary; comfortless; having a despondent feeling.” And “despondent” is defined as “to feel or show extreme discouragement, dejection, or depression; to be brokenhearted; gloomy; joyless; miserable; saddened; sorrowful; unhappy; pessimistic.” Needless to say, the prophet was not feeling all that great! But how could he when the Bible says, “Just thinking of my troubles and my lonely wandering makes me miserable. THAT’S ALL I EVER THINK ABOUT, and I am depressed.” Of course if this is your only mindset about yourself, your life and the challenges you face, you will be depressed, especially if this is “…ALL YOU EVER THINK ABOUT…”!
Imagine going day in and day out with nothing positive, good, uplifting or encouraging to enter your mind. What a horrible way to live, especially as a believer who has been given the promise of Life and that More Abundantly! What the prophet struggled with was his affliction, troubles, loneliness, bitterness and gall. Is that where you are? Does your pain, failures, broken heart take away God’s Unspeakable Joy from your life? Well, it’s possible, when you focus on your frustrations and your failures, the bad news and the negative feelings, yeah, you're going to be discouraged, and you’re going to be depressed, your souls going to be downcast within you. I reiterate, especially when this is “…ALL YOU EVER THINK ABOUT…”!
At this point, the prophet is very much like Terry, all he can see is the ‘dead coyotes’, while others are focusing on the ‘soaring hawks’.
Reality Check: Now, truth is, at some point in time we’ve all felt like this, and if you haven’t yet…just keep living! To be honest, life can throw you some curve balls that no one can prepare you to catch. Can we be real? No one looks forward to a divorce, a baby out of wedlock, an addiction, a disease, the loss of a loved one, the bankruptcy, the foreclosure, the abandonment, the final closing of the churches doors, the rejection, the depression, the job loss, the repossessed car, the unmet tuition, the promotion passing you by. No one wakes up one morning and thinks this will be a part of their agenda for the day. But for many, life happens, and happens hard and unexpectedly! And so we look around and all we see are ‘dead coyotes’. It doesn’t look as if things could get any worse, nor does it look as if things will ever get any better. Then, the next thing you know your mind starts wandering, “I thought I’d be married by now; I thought I’d have at least my first child by now; I thought the church/ministry/business would have taken off by now; I thought my vision and dreams would have come to pass by now; I thought I’d be finished school by now; I thought I’d own my own home by now; I thought I’d be off the bus by now; I thought I’d be through with all these tests and medications by now; I thought the ailment would have run its course by now; I thought I’d be happy by now…” It appears as though life, happiness, promise, dreams and even God has forgotten about us. And so we look around like Terry and only see ‘dead coyotes’, or the prophet and only see 'troubles and misery'.
But then there comes a turn of events, a shifting of focus and perspective. Listen to the change:
“I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, and the poison I’ve swallowed. I remember it all – oh, how well I remember – the feeling of hitting the bottom. BUT THERE’S ONE OTHER THING I REMEMBER, AND REMEMBERING, I KEEP A GRIP ON HOPE. GOD’S LOYAL LOVE COULDN’T HAVE RUN OUT, HIS MERCIFUL LOVE COULDN’T HAVE DRIED UP. THEY’RE CREATED NEW EVERY MORNING. HOW GREAT YOUR FAITHFULNESS! I’M STICKING WITH GOD (I SAY IT OVER AND OVER). HE’S ALL I’VE GOT LEFT. GOD PROVES TO BE GOOD TO THE MAN WHO PASSIONATELY WAITS, TO THE WOMAN WHO DILIGENTLY SEEKS. IT’S A GOOD THING TO QUIETLY HOPE, QUIETLY HOPE FOR HELP FROM GOD…” (vss. 19-27 MSG)
Alright, prepare for the soaring hawks!
You see, when you focus on all the evidence of God's love and God's care in your life...when you look for the blessings that He has sown into this day and every day, your load gets lighter and your heaviness turns to hope. Same situation - two different outlooks. Either way, you choose! Because things didn’t change for the prophet, but his mindset, focus and perspective did. The trouble, lostness, taste of ashes, poison, hitting rock bottom…all that was still there, but placed in perspective of an even greater truth… “BUT THERE’S ONE OTHER THING I REMEMBER, AND REMEMBERING, I KEEP A GRIP ON HOPE…” That’s what you have to learn to do when you’re losing your grip on life, grab a hold of hope! For it’s in that hope that you’re reminded of God’s loyal love that can’t run out and His mercy that can’t dry up! Every new morning they are there to meet you before you even meet the day! Your God is that loving and that caring and that protective and mindful of YOU! Even When Your Situation Doesn’t Change, Your Mindset Can, Your Outlook Can, Your Perspective Can! This is what happened to Jeremiah, “I’M STICKING WITH GOD (I SAY IT OVER AND OVER). HE’S ALL I’VE GOT LEFT. GOD PROVES TO BE GOOD TO THE MAN WHO PASSIONATELY WAITS, TO THE WOMAN WHO DILIGENTLY SEEKS. IT’S A GOOD THING TO QUIETLY HOPE, QUIETLY HOPE FOR HELP FROM GOD…”
The same God who has promised to never leave you or forsake you is still your very present help in times of trouble. Even on a bad day you still serve a good God! Which is why you have to make the deliberate choice to stop looking for the ‘dead coyotes’ when the soaring hawks are flying overhead to remind you to look in the right direction…Upwards!
Today, be encouraged to look at life from a different perspective! Focus on the good, for your God is still good even when you’re having a bad day! He’s working all things for your favor and for your good. Don’t let the situation shift your focus! Even when your shoulders are weighed down, go to God to lift your head high! Even when you’re overwhelmed you will not be overtaken! God is there, every morning with new mercies, ensuring that you are never consumed! Keep your eyes on Him at all times, especially in hard times, remembering that What You See Depends On Where You Look! Be Like Mary and Hang On Every Word of God; Be Like Caleb and Go After the Promises of God Regardless to the Enemies in the Way; Be Like David Remember That the Same God Who Kept and Protected You Before, Will Do it Again; Be Like Jeremiah and Remember That God's Love and Mercy are New Every Morning and Shall Never Fail; Be Like Alex and Keep Your Eyes Focus Upward On What Soars High! What You See Depends On What You're Looking For. Today, No Matter How Bad Things Look; See Something Good!
Blessings
J.P. Olson
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