~ written by Connie Dunmyer
2 Corinthians 4:18: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Here is a true story from a woman I do not know personally, but let’s call her Anne. She had a dream one night that struck her to her core. I’ve had those kinds of dreams, when I wake up and I’m not quite sure what’s real or what’s not, unsure what that was all about, and I feel scared, confused, discouraged, all at once. And I can’t even pinpoint why.
Anyway, Anne had this bad dream. She dreamed she saw an open grave, and in her heart, she knew it was her own. Fear gripped her in the darkness. Then she heard a voice say, “Don’t look down. Look up!” When she awakened she asked God what it meant. And in her spirit she heard this reply: “Anne, don’t focus on the circumstances. Don’t look at your problem. Look at me. Look at my resources. Look at my love. Don’t look down. Look up!” - (from “A Woman’s Guide to Spiritual Warfare” by Quin Sherrer & Ruthanne Garlock)
Here’s another story. Again, I do not know the man personally. I don’t even know his name. But we read about him in John 5:1-15.
"The Chosen" has a great rendition of this interaction, that I found a bit life-changing.
Jesus asked him, (and He asks me), “Do you want to be healed?” In the scene the man looks up at Jesus – then down at the pool – then back to Jesus. Jesus says “You don’t need this pool – you only need Me.”
Where is my focus? What am I looking at? Am I looking down? Looking up? At my very real, very hard circumstances? Or at the One Who has promised to take care of me? Do I even want to be healed? Or have I become so complacent, even comfortable in my pain?
Honestly – I suppose it changes depending on the day. My focus can move back to my problems now and then – depending on the attack being brought to my mind.
After her dream, Anne explained: “When we don’t see a way out, our hearts falter and we find ourselves right where the devil wants us. He sucks us into the mire of helplessness and a ‘no win’ situation. But God is calling His warriors to battle. Everything Jesus used to defeat Satan is available to us.”
Did you catch that: Everything Jesus used to defeat Satan is available to us.
It begs the question: Do I even believe that?
Again – let’s return to Anne. After God gave her that dream, Anne began to believe God for the impossible. She resisted the oppression of the enemy against her mind and declared the truth of God’s Word. She filled her thoughts with God’s Word and resisted the Enemy’s attack against her mind.
So we “attack” – we “resist” – by using the Word of God – Scripture – which is our ONLY offensive weapon in that it is our “sword”. It's at least one reason why reading the Word often is so important.
Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Ephesians 6:17 – “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
When Jesus was tempted by Satan – and He was – what did Jesus do (read Matthew 4:1-11)? Jesus used Scripture. He didn’t look at the problems. He didn’t wring his hands. He didn’t fixate on the pain that was His path. He looked to the Father. He spoke scripture. And just like Jesus, we too can overcome those dreams, those circumstances, those temptations, those fears that are being used to keep us looking down, or looking wistfully at a “pool of healing” thinking “if only”. We can choose to look up.
And maybe we start by “looking up scripture”! One source I use is “The Secret Power of Speaking God’s Word” by Joyce Meyer. She lists helpful scriptures for various needs: anger, anxiety, compromise, courage, depression, fear, forgiveness, help, laziness, patience, self-control, stress, temptation – and so much more. Find a source that works for you.
We don’t have to look down. We don’t have to live in bondage and discouragement. We’ve been given all the resources we need. And perhaps, after looking up and focusing on those resources, we too, can receive & own the words from the end of “The Chosen” clip – we're "not coming back here – that life is over!”
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