A Lifted Spirit
“The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.” - Genesis 18:1-2
Yesterday, we talked about the fact that when you need God, He will show up in your life. It is not a matter of if, but when. And God is always on time. You can count on that. You might be saying, “Okay pastor, I know God is going to show up for me, but what will happen when He does?” I’m glad you asked. Several things will happen, so let's talk about the first.
The first thing that happens when God shows up in your life is your countenance will be lifted. This means your whole demeanor will change. When you read Genesis 18, what stands out is the directional shift in Abraham’s focus when the Lord comes to his house. The text says in verse 2 that he immediately “looked up.”
This is an important detail to note because, for twenty-four years, Abraham had been waiting on the fulfillment of a divine promise to manifest. And after 24 years of waiting, worrying, and wondering, his countenance had fallen. He became sad, frustrated, and discouraged. But when God showed up at his house, things turned around. The man who had been looking down suddenly started to look up.
This subtle and simple observation in Abraham’s story is significant for you if the passage of time and the weight of life’s pressures have caused you to question God's reality and presence. Let me tell you, my friend, God will turn things around for you.
When you invite the Lord into your house, when you welcome Him to come into your home, you will start to “look up,” and your spirit will be lifted. The psalmist said in Psalm 24:7, “Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.” The King of Glory is ready to lift your spirit today!
Yesterday, we talked about the fact that when you need God, He will show up in your life. It is not a matter of if, but when. And God is always on time. You can count on that. You might be saying, “Okay pastor, I know God is going to show up for me, but what will happen when He does?” I’m glad you asked. Several things will happen, so let's talk about the first.
The first thing that happens when God shows up in your life is your countenance will be lifted. This means your whole demeanor will change. When you read Genesis 18, what stands out is the directional shift in Abraham’s focus when the Lord comes to his house. The text says in verse 2 that he immediately “looked up.”
This is an important detail to note because, for twenty-four years, Abraham had been waiting on the fulfillment of a divine promise to manifest. And after 24 years of waiting, worrying, and wondering, his countenance had fallen. He became sad, frustrated, and discouraged. But when God showed up at his house, things turned around. The man who had been looking down suddenly started to look up.
This subtle and simple observation in Abraham’s story is significant for you if the passage of time and the weight of life’s pressures have caused you to question God's reality and presence. Let me tell you, my friend, God will turn things around for you.
When you invite the Lord into your house, when you welcome Him to come into your home, you will start to “look up,” and your spirit will be lifted. The psalmist said in Psalm 24:7, “Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.” The King of Glory is ready to lift your spirit today!
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