Look up!

Yesterday we looked down.  Looked down into the valley and saw the black tents of warlike enemies encamped all around.  We looked down and saw wickedness.  We looked down and saw betrayal and pain.  We looked down and saw our sufferings, our failures, our sin.  We looked down and wanted to escape.  Wanted to give up.  Too long we have lived here.  How long O Lord?

But we should never look down without looking up.  There is beauty all around and it's there as a reminder.  This may be the way it is for now.  There may be thorns and thistles all around.  The curse of decay may be evident in everything we don't maintain constant vigilance over.  But there is a promise in the mountains.  A promise in the wild flowers which bloom without your oversight.  A promise in every birth.  Every laughter.  Every friend.  Every act of love.  A promise that God is good, God is gracious, God is great and God is glorious!  God is in control, he sits on his throne and laughs at the raging nations.  He looks down in anger on the proud and the contemptuous.  He looks down in pity on his people and he loves them.  He is not unable to save.  He is not unwilling.  We suffer for a moment but we will rejoice forever!  There is no such thing as Justice denied.  Only Justice delayed.