Encouragement for Today

January 6, 2025 Let’s Look Up SARAH FREYMUTH Lee en español

“But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” Micah 7:7 (ESV)

Winding my rental car through sharp turns and steep inclines, I make my way north through the Great Smoky Mountains. The sun glares on my windshield, and I squint before pulling down the visor to meet the ruffled lines of tree-covered mountains jutting into the sky. I’m from the Midwest, and while I'm familiar with the beauty of the Great Lakes, there’s something otherworldly to me about majesty made from mountains.

But sometimes I struggle to lift my eyes off of the mountains in my life: the never-ending bills and financial strain, the push and pull of dynamics that disrupt my day, and the tug of my heart that yearns for more in the middle of the mundane.

Later that night, when I’m swaying in a green rocking chair on a wide porch, my eyes rise to the mountains lined with the lush greenery of spruce and pine.

How often do we overlook the miraculous things right in front of us because we don’t have the right perspective? We look down at ourselves, disappointed by what we have or haven’t done. We look around at our problems, working ourselves up, trying to figure out the next move.

We must keep looking up if we want to see the goodness and the beauty before us. It can take a lifetime, yet we can learn to leave what’s weighing us down and tell our hearts to focus on God, who has been beckoning us to Him the entire time.

“But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me” (Micah 7:7).

God reminds us to look up and see His handiwork all throughout our lives, to remember who He is and how He controls all things. Like the Jewish people on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, we can even sing a psalm of ascent to regain perspective:

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2, ESV).

God, who made the hills and mountains, is our Helper and Deliverer. Those negative comments or that unchangeable situation? They become easier to handle as we put our trust in the God who promises His presence. When our faith is fixed on the One who is unchanging, our problems are put in the right perspective and don’t seem so insurmountable.

What’s standing in your way today? Lift your eyes and look up. The God who made heaven and earth has made you too. It’s all about perspective — and His perspective is full of goodness, hope and a beautiful future. May we have eyes to see.

Father, I can feel down when I think about all I’m facing, and I don’t see myself as You see me. Help me to lift my eyes, to see what You see. Show me where You are at work in my heart and in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

With the start of a new year, many of us are setting goals and dreaming about the growth we want to see in our lives. What if this year, you had a supportive community and practical tools to equip you every step of the way? That’s exactly what Circle 31 Book Club offers! Starting February 1, we’ll be reading Relaxed, a book by Megan Fate Marshman that will help us breathe easy and release the weight of worry. The best part? You’ll get the chance to process it all with other women walking through similar seasons. So make 2025 the year you find strength in community and peace through God’s Truth! Become a Circle 31 member.

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Find out more about today’s devotion writer, Sarah Freymuth, on her website, or connect with her on Instagram or Facebook.

FOR DEEPER STUDY

1 Chronicles 16:11, “Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!” (ESV).

Do you need to reset your perspective? How can you lift your eyes to the Lord and see your life from His point of view?

Try reshaping your self-talk this week by finding and reciting two or three Bible verses about how God helps and cares for those He loves.

We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.

© 2025 by Sarah Freymuth. All rights reserved.