Perception at Low Altitudes

"They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn." Job 24:24 KJV

"Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow." Psalms 107:39 KJV

"For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low" Isaiah 2:12 KJV

I have been thinking about the old Englishy term 'brought low' this morning and what can be lofty in my perception. It is in part a perception issue after all. High and low are relative to the viewer.

High things see and are seen by others. Low things have impaired vision and are often hidden from sight. If wrong things are lifted up they block your vision so that you can't see what you want to see or others need to see. Those things need to be 'brought low'.

"The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me." Psalms 116:6 KJV

There are times when it is not my eyesight that is the issue but my altitude. The big picture is hidden from the low vantage point. Small things become large. What is near becomes all we have.

"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up." Psalms 5:3 KJV

Perhaps lowness will cause the one who looks out to look up instead.

"As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.' ' " Luke 3:4-6 ESV

Jesus evens out the terrain. Grace is visible to the low and high. It removes the barriers. Oh how we need that.

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalms 46:10 KJV

"All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted." Psalms 75:10 KJV

"In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted." Psalms 89:16 KJV

Grace amplifies the power of the righteous. The power of the righteous is grace... that is where it is manifested.

Grace fills, or exalts, the valleys and makes low any mountains that would block our view.

"And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:8-11 KJV

Let anything that is blocking our view of Jesus be brought low. Also, Let our valleys be filled so that we see Him and are not so consumed with those things that are close but devoid of truth and hope.