Look Up by G. B. Thompson

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Aug 27, 1914

Look Up

By G. B. Thompson

THE way to have faith is to talk faith; the way to have courage is to talk courage. It is better to be optimistic than pessimistic. It is easy to frown, look sour, talk doubt, and get discouraged; but there is no help in this, for either ourselves or others.

This is a sad world; there is plenty to cause sadness and make the heart ache. But Christians should look up; they have an almighty God able to succor, and speak peace to troubled waters.

The command of Jesus to his waiting people at this time is, “Look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:28. It is better to look upward where the rainbow of promise is circling the throne of Deity than to cast the eyes downward to the darkness of the earth. The destiny of time and eternity turns on obedience to the command to “look up.”

“A little boy playing in the streets of Baltimore came to the foot of a long ladder and looked up. He heard the sound of hammers and the voices of workmen far up on the roof above him, and his childish curiosity impelled him to climb. He set his little foot on the lower round and his hand on the next, and then pulled himself up slowly, hand over hand, round after round, till he was so high that a fall would be instant death, and yet he had not reached the top. He grew tired, and wished he had not begun to climb. He looked down to see how far he had come, and the great height made him giddy. He began to tremble, and was fast losing his strength and his hold. Just then a man passing along the street at the foot of the ladder looked up, saw him terrified and trembling, and cried out, ‘My God! that boy is going to fall.’ The man meant no harm, but it was the worst thing he could say. His words and the frightened tone in which he spoke made the poor child much nearer falling than he was before. He grew more and more giddy. He thought the ladder swayed to and fro like trees bent by the storm. He thought the house and the whole street were rocking like ships on the sea. But all at once he heard another voice, loud, cheery, and full of courage, from the roof of the house above him, ‘Boy, look up!’ He did look up; anybody would have done so, hearing such a hearty voice as that: ‘All right now. Come on.’ The boy was no longer giddy. He began to climb; and soon he reached the hand of the sensible carpenter on the roof, whose cheery word had saved him from being dashed in pieces on the pavement of the street.

“That boy became a man of genius and culture. His written thoughts went over all America and stirred strong emotions in thousands of hearts. But to the day of his death he never ceased to attribute the preservation of his life and the accomplishment of all that he ever did in the world to the timely and encouraging words of the carpenter on the roof: ‘Look up. Come on.’”

There are weary climbers all about us. They are some distance up life’s ladder. The hold of many is uncertain. By looking downward they have grown dizzy. Some are carrying a tremendous load. Some terrible sorrow perchance is breaking the heart. The cherished prospects of life have been ruthlessly crushed. But if the tear-dimmed eyes can but be lifted upward, the finger of God will be seen writing the covenant of peace on the other side of the cloud.

“That cruel disappointment Which came, you knew not why; But crushed were fond ambitions. The sun in zenith sky Seemed but to mock your sadness, And jeer at your despair; And moon and stars seemed leading A far-off, vacant stare. But count as joy the heartaches, The shattered hopes abide, If but a little nearer They draw you to His side.”

G. B. THOMPSON.