I just returned from a trip to Jordan and Israel, and while in Jerusalem I visited the City of David—that is, the location of the city of Jerusalem during the time of King David. The tour guide brought us to a viewpoint, and said that the city spanned the area between the Kidron and Tyropoean Valleys, and David would have been able to look out over the whole city from his vantage point of the palace. However, in the other direction there was a yet higher mount—the Temple Mount (often also identified as Mount Moriah, where the binding of Isaac occurred); this is where David built an altar to God, and subsequently where Solomon built the First Temple.

Standing at the point at which David and Solomon would have stood brought a physicality to the many biblical passages about the Mountain of the Lord (Isa 2, Mic 4, Ps 24, Rev 21 etcetera) and about the act of ascending the mountain. But I think the passage that came to mind most immediately was Ps 121: "I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." (Ps 121:1–2)

To the psalmist, lifting his eyes was not merely figurative, but at least allusive, if not literal. The position of God's dwelling place on the top of a mountain served as a constant reminder of His sovereignty and guardianship, and looking upwards in a time of distressed served to reorientate one's perspectives and strengthen one's convictions about God.

Looking up is also the remedy to looking down (wallowing in grief) and to looking in (relying on oneself for strength), which are often our first directions in times of distress rather than seeking the Lord, but which ultimately amount to nothing. Instead, there is a real and present help, which is from the Lord. Even though the Lord doesn't dwell just on a mountain nowadays, the act of metaphorically looking up is a declaration of hope and faith in a God who loves us.

In light of that, perhaps it's worth trying to picture that spot in the City of David, where even the kings of the most blessed nation of their time still turned to gaze upon the dwelling place of God, and proclaimed that He watches over your life, both now and forevermore.

– alvin(:

Oswald Chambers – Am I Looking Up?

Mike Mobley – Are You Looking Up or Down?

These two short articles remind us not to look at ourselves but at God, who is truly sufficient, loving, kind, and just. They may perhaps serve as good reminders for us to refocus our gaze on God—and really, since God is so beautiful (Ps 27:4), shouldn't we all want to gaze upon Him!

Hillsong Creative Podcast Ep 2 – Stefan Kunz

At the start of this year, Hillsong launched a weekly podcast series in which they interview creatives and talk about a whole bunch of creative-related stuff including the creative process, how God influences creation, and personal testimonies about creativity. This episode has Stefan Kunz as a guest; he is a banker-turned-letterer who followed a call to be somewhat of a "brand manager for the kingdom of God", and he shares some insights about how he creates. I found his four-step creation process (learning, copying, creating, and doing something extra) particularly useful and encouraging, because it makes creating much less daunting. Do check out their other episodes as well!

One final thought: focusing on God means that we don't need to work out everything by ourselves! God is our vindication and our wisdom, and we don't need to wrestle out a personal sense of rationalisation but can instead rely on God. (Read Elihu's monologues in the book of Job for more on this!)

Over and out!