Genesis 13:14 Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward
Myopia is a common problem, and it is of little wonder why this is so; we spend a great deal of time staring at things close up: we read books, play handheld games and surf the Internet, through devices that are within 30cm of our faces.
This problem also permeates into the spiritual realm. And that is why God asked Abraham to “lift up his eyes and look from the place where he is”. In this statement, God articulates the problem with a myopic faith, and at the same time, gives the solution to becoming a person of faith. A person with myopic faith tends to “look down” – to his present circumstance, and focuses on the immediate problem without seeing the bigger picture.
In Abraham’s case, Lot, his nephew, was a free-loader who gave Abraham lots of problems. Abraham had to even go out of the way to rescue him! It was after God orchestrated Lot out of the way that God spoke to Abraham these words. Abraham had to deliberately look beyond what he had faced in the place when he was at and focus his attention on the bigger picture.
Theology-to-go
What situation are you currently facing?
It is important that you begin to seek the Lord for a refreshed perspective. Sometimes, our problems can overwhelm us to the point where we “look down”. Let’s begin by “lifting up our eyes from the place where we are at” and see where God is leading us to.