09/05/2026
Many times, we have to **look up**.
Sometimes, life has a way of distracting us. We can become so focused on what is happening around us that we lose sight of where we are going. We look at our circumstances, our limitations, our mistakes, and the things that seem to be standing in our way. Before long, we can begin to feel as though we are no longer moving toward the destination God has given us.
Recently, I found myself pondering my own destination in ministry.
I began thinking about the goals God has placed in my heart and how far away some of them seemed. I started looking at my age and wondering if time was still on my side. I looked at where I am and compared it to where I thought I should be by now.
And then I heard a voice say:
**“Look up!”**
That simple phrase shifted my perspective.
God was reminding me that my destination is not determined by my age, my timeline, my circumstances, or what I can see right now. My responsibility is not to become consumed with how far I have to go. My responsibility is to keep my eyes on Him.
When I **look down**, I see limitations.
When I **look around**, I see distractions.
When I **look behind**, I see what I cannot change.
But when I **look up**, I see the One who called me.
Looking up reminds me that God is still God. His timing is still perfect. His purpose for my life has not expired. What He placed in me is not invalidated by the passage of time.
Perhaps you have been looking at your circumstances and wondering, *“Will I ever get there?”*
Maybe you have become discouraged because the vision seems farther away than you imagined.
Maybe you have allowed age, setbacks, disappointments, people, finances, or even your own mistakes to convince you that you have missed your moment.
**Look up.**
Your eyes may be telling you to calculate the distance, but faith is telling you to trust the One who gave you the destination.
The journey may be longer than you expected, but that does not mean the promise has been canceled.
So today, I am reminding myself—and perhaps someone else who needs to hear it:
**Don't let what is around you distract you from Who is above you.**
Keep looking up.
Keep walking.
Keep believing.
Keep following.
The God who gave you the vision is still able to bring you into the fulfillment of His purpose.
**Look up. Your destination is still ahead.**
- Pastor Tony Rich
