Where to Look?
"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn; look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth. When I called him he was only one man, and I blessed him and made him many."
— Isaiah 51:1-2
Discouragement often clouds our vision, making it difficult to see beyond our present struggles. But in Isaiah 51, God calls His people to look—to remember where they came from and to anticipate where He is leading them.
Israel was told to look back to Abraham and Sarah, a barren couple with no future by human standards. Yet God transformed their story, bringing forth a nation through His promise. In the same way, when we reflect on our own lives, we see His faithfulness. He has changed us. We are not who we once were.
And we are also to look ahead. The trials of today are not the end of the story. God’s righteousness and salvation are drawing near. He is always at work, unfolding His purposes in ways we cannot yet see. Paul affirms this in 2 Corinthians 4:17, reminding us that the struggles of this present time are temporary, producing an eternal weight of glory far beyond comparison.
A traveler lost in a dense forest may feel trapped, but if he climbs to higher ground, the path ahead becomes clear. In the same way, when discouragement presses in, God calls us to rise above momentary troubles and fix our gaze on His faithfulness—past, present, and future.
Reflection
When has God brought you through discouragement in the past?
How does remembering His past faithfulness change your outlook on today’s challenges?
What promises in Scripture give you confidence about the future?
Prayer
Father, You have been faithful from the beginning, calling the weak and the weary and making them strong in You. Thank You for the work You have already done in my life, for the ways You have changed me, and for the certainty of what is yet to come. I trust Your unfailing goodness and the unfolding of Your perfect plan. Whatever today holds, I rest in the assurance that You are leading me forward. Amen.
📸 Photo Credit: Unsplash
📖 Devotional Source: Immeasurably More