Look Up: Finding Strength and Hope in God

Life often brings us battles that feel overwhelming—challenges that seem too big for us to handle, moments when we feel alone, and situations where our usual sources of help—family, friends, or even our own strength—fall short. In these times, the call is simple but profound: look up. Just as David, facing the giant Goliath, refused to rely on the support of his family, the approval of his peers, or the armor of the king, we too are reminded that our true help comes not from earthly sources, but from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

We live in a culture that constantly encourages us to look down—on others, on ourselves, or into our devices—missing the invitation to lift our eyes to God. The story of David and Goliath is not just about courage, but about where we place our trust when the odds are stacked against us. David’s victory was not because he was the strongest or the most prepared, but because he looked up and trusted in God’s presence and power. He understood that God’s help is not self-help; it is divine intervention from the One who knows us by name and walks with us into every battle.

There will be times when even those closest to us cannot fight our battles for us. Friends may come and go, family may not understand, and the systems of this world may see us as just another number. Even our own abilities will eventually reach their limits. But God’s promise is that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He is already present in our storms, already working on our behalf, and already making a way where there seems to be no way.

When we call on the name of Jesus, we are not trying to get His attention—He is already attentive to us. Instead, we are acknowledging our need and His sufficiency. Our help comes from the Lord, the Creator of all things, who is both able and willing to help us. Whether you are a student, a teacher, or simply someone facing a battle today, the invitation is the same: stop looking around for answers that cannot satisfy, and look up to the One who is our strong tower, our comforter, and our ever-present help.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Earthly sources of help are limited, but God’s help is limitless. Family, friends, and even our own strength will sometimes fail us, not out of malice but out of human limitation. There are battles we must face that no one else can fight for us, and in those moments, we discover the sufficiency of God’s presence and power. Our help comes from the Lord, not from the systems or relationships we often depend on. [55:50]
• 2. Authenticity in your calling is essential for victory. God will not bless who you pretend to be; He blesses who He created you to be. When we try to wear someone else’s armor or calling, we set ourselves up for frustration and defeat. Embracing your unique story, gifts, and journey is the path to experiencing God’s protection and provision in your battles. [59:04]
• 3. God’s presence is constant, even when we feel alone. Psalm 121 is not a question but a declaration: God is with us in every circumstance, on every battlefield, in every hospital room, and in every moment of anxiety or betrayal. There is no place we can go where His presence does not accompany us, and His promise is to keep, protect, and guide us always. [65:59]
• 4. Looking up is an act of faith and surrender, not self-reliance. The world tells us to look down or look within, but Scripture calls us to look up—to acknowledge our need and God’s sufficiency. When we stop striving to save ourselves and instead call on the name of Jesus, we find that He is already at work, already present, and already making a way for us. [72:39]
• 5. Hope placed in God is never misplaced. Unlike the fleeting hope we place in symbols, people, or our own abilities, hope anchored in God is secure because He has never lost a battle and is always in control. Even when the storm rages, He can silence the storm or bring peace to our hearts within it. Our help and our hope come from the Lord, the Creator and Sustainer of all things. [76:45]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [02:29] - Opening the Altars and Prayer Cards
• [04:20] - Worship and Preparing Our Hearts
• [10:00] - Life Groups and Community Connections
• [15:00] - Back to School Reflections
• [20:00] - What We Bring to School: Then and Now
• [25:00] - Comic Books, Superheroes, and the “Look Up” Theme
• [30:00] - Psalm 121: Lifting Our Eyes for Help
• [35:13] - David and Goliath: Facing Overwhelming Battles
• [40:00] - When Family and Friends Can’t Help
• [45:00] - The Limits of Government and Systems
• [55:50] - Identity Beyond Politics: Who Are We?
• [59:04] - Authenticity in Calling and God’s Protection
• [65:59] - God’s Presence in Every Battle
• [72:39] - Looking Up: Faith Over Self-Reliance
• [76:45] - Hope in the Lord: Our True Helper
• [80:00] - Prayer and Altar Ministry

Bible Reading

Psalm 121 (ESV) — > 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
> From where does my help come?
> 2 My help comes from the Lord,
> who made heaven and earth.
> 3 He will not let your foot be moved;
> he who keeps you will not slumber.
> 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
> will neither slumber nor sleep.
> 5 The Lord is your keeper;
> the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
> 6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
> nor the moon by night.
> 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
> he will keep your life.
> 8 The Lord will keep
> your going out and your coming in
> from this time forth and forevermore.

1 Samuel 17:38-47 (ESV) [selected verses] — > 38 Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail,
> 39 and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off.
> ...
> 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
> 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand...
> 47 ...For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.”

Proverbs 18:10 (ESV) — > The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
> the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

Observation Questions

1. In Psalm 121, what does the psalmist say about where his help comes from? What does he declare about God’s role in his life?
2. When David faces Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, what does he refuse to rely on, and what does he choose instead?
3. According to the sermon, what are some of the “earthly sources” of help that David could have turned to, and why were they not enough? [[35:13]]
4. What does Proverbs 18:10 say about the name of the Lord, and how does this connect to the idea of “looking up” for help?

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think David refused to wear Saul’s armor, and what does this teach us about authenticity in our own calling? [[59:04]]
2. The sermon says, “God will not bless who you pretend to be; He blesses who He created you to be.” How does this idea challenge the way we sometimes approach our problems or our identity? [[59:04]]
3. The psalmist in Psalm 121 says, “He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.” What does this reveal about God’s presence in our lives, especially when we feel alone? [[01:05:59]]
4. The sermon points out that “looking up” is an act of faith and surrender, not self-reliance. How is this different from the messages we often hear from the world about handling our problems? [[01:12:39]]

Application Questions

1. The sermon mentioned that family, friends, and even our own strength will sometimes fail us—not out of malice, but out of human limitation. Can you think of a time when you faced something that no one else could fix for you? How did you respond, and what would it look like to “look up” in that situation? [[35:13]]
2. Are there areas in your life where you are tempted to “wear someone else’s armor”—to copy someone else’s calling, gifts, or story? What would it look like to embrace your own God-given identity instead? [[59:04]]
3. The sermon says, “There is not a place you’ve gone in your life where God’s presence hasn’t been there with you.” Is there a situation right now where you feel alone or abandoned? How can you remind yourself of God’s presence in that place? [[01:05:59]]
4. The world often tells us to “look down”—at our phones, at our problems, or at others. What are some practical ways you can “look up” to God this week when you feel overwhelmed or discouraged? [[01:12:39]]
5. The sermon talked about calling on the name of Jesus—not to get His attention, but to acknowledge our need and His sufficiency. What does it look like for you to call on Jesus in your daily life? Is there a specific area where you need to do this right now? [[01:12:39]]
6. Hope placed in God is never misplaced. Are there things or people you’ve been putting your hope in that have let you down? What would it look like to shift your hope to God, the “Creator and Sustainer of all things”? [[01:16:45]]
7. The sermon says, “When you finally break down, you’re about to break through.” Is there a struggle or battle in your life where you need to stop striving and start surrendering to God’s help? What’s one step you can take this week to do that? [[01:16:45]]