Lift Your Eyes

Pastor Alex Hall | October 26, 2025

There are moments in life when we stand at a crossroads, watching something or someone slip away, and our natural response is to look down in disappointment. We fix our gaze on what we've lost rather than what lies ahead. Yet it's precisely in these moments that heaven whispers an invitation: "Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are."

The Separation That Leads to Multiplication

The story of Abram and Lot in Genesis 13 reveals a profound truth about divine transitions. These two men had journeyed together, grown together, and been blessed together. But blessing brought them to a point where separation became necessary. Their herdsmen were fighting, resources were stretched, and the land could no longer sustain both camps.

When Abram offered Lot first choice of where to settle, Lot lifted his eyes and saw the well-watered plain of Jordan—lush, fertile, and promising. It looked like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. So Lot chose what his natural eyes could see, pitching his tent near Sodom, a city known for its wickedness.

But Abram? His eyes were down. He was grieving the separation, mourning the loss of companionship, uncertain about this new season.

Then God spoke: "Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward. For all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever."

The Danger of Living "Near Sodom"

Here's where the story takes a sobering turn. Lot didn't move into Sodom immediately—he just got close. He pitched his tent "as far as Sodom." It's the classic compromise: "I'm not all the way in. I'm just close enough to enjoy the benefits without the consequences."

But proximity has power. A few chapters later, we find Lot living inside the very city he once kept at arm's length. What was once unthinkable became comfortable, then normal.

How many of us are living near our own version of Sodom? We ask, "How close can I get to the line?" instead of "How can I run toward holiness?" We justify our position: "It could be worse. I'm not murdering anyone—I'm just thinking about it." But sin always starts with proximity before it progresses to participation.

The call today is clear: Don't pitch your tent near Sodom. Be set apart. Holiness doesn't mean set near—it means set apart.

When God Says "Don't Look Back"

Eventually, God's judgment came upon Sodom and Gomorrah. Angels warned Lot and his family to flee and gave them one critical instruction: "Don't look back."

Lot's wife couldn't resist. She looked back and became a pillar of salt—a permanent monument to the danger of nostalgia for what God has called us to leave behind.

Some of us are running toward our destiny while constantly glancing over our shoulder at the past. We've been freed from addictions, toxic relationships, or destructive patterns, yet we romanticize what was. We remember the "good parts" and forget why God led us out in the first place.

The message is urgent: Run and don't look back. You might stumble. You might fall. You might feel like a toddler learning to walk in this new life. But keep your eyes forward. The Father is a better parent than we can imagine—He'll catch you when you fall and encourage you to keep going.

Missing the Harvest While Mourning the Loss

After Lot departed, God told Abram to lift his eyes and look around. Why? Because Abram was so focused on what he'd lost that he was missing what God was giving him.

This is where many of us live—in the gap between expectation and reality. We expected life to look one way, and when it doesn't match our vision, we become disappointed, even depressed. We sit down, look down, and miss the harvest happening all around us.

God doesn't just want us to lift our eyes—He wants us to arise. To take action. To step into the blessing He's prepared. Some of us keep waiting for God to do everything while He's saying, "Steward what I've given you. Sow the seed. Take the first step."

The hardest step on any journey is often the first one. Getting out of bed. Going to the gym. Having the difficult conversation. Tithing that first ten percent. But stewardship is key in the kingdom, and God multiplies what we faithfully sow.

The Better Father

Perhaps you're reading this and thinking, "My life is a desert right now. My marriage is a wasteland. My finances are barren."

Here's the truth: If you're with Jesus, He can make the desert bloom. He's the Creator of all things. Location doesn't limit Him. Circumstances don't constrain Him. As long as you walk with Him, He'll water what looks dead and bring life to what seems hopeless.

The invitation today is to die to self—to stop striving, stop trying to manifest your own destiny, and simply walk with Him as Lord. Not Lord in word only, but Lord in deed. Because if you love Him, you'll obey His commands. Not to earn salvation, but because you've been saved and you want to honor the One who saved you.

Life to the Full

Too many of us have settled for a "someday when I die" version of Christianity. We endure this life, white-knuckling through struggles, just hoping to make it to heaven eventually.

But Jesus said He came to give us life—life to the full, abundant life, here and now. Not just in eternity, but today.

So lift your eyes. Look around. See what God is doing in this season. There's a harvest you might be missing because you're too focused on what you've lost or what you don't have.

Take hold of the promises. Come into agreement with His Word. Speak life over your situation. You are more than a conqueror. You are the head, not the tail. You walk in victory because you walk with the Victor.

The power of life and death is in the tongue. So stop speaking defeat and start declaring His truth.

Don't settle for living near Sodom when God has called you to walk in holiness. Don't look back when He's calling you forward. Don't miss the harvest because your eyes are down.

Lift your eyes. Arise. And step into everything He has for you in this season.