If you put a buzzard in a pen that is three or four feet square and entirely open at the top, the bird, despite his ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a running start. If it does not have space to run, as is his habit, he will not even attempt to fly. He will remain a prisoner even though freedom is available above!

The same is true with the ordinary bat that flies around at night. A remarkably nimble creature in the air, but it struggles to take off from a level place. If it is placed in an open-top cage on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and painfully. Its only hope is to find some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. If it cannot find an elevated place to jump from, it will die in the cage even if there is freedom right above it.

Similarly, a bumble bee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it destroys itself even though freedom is available from above.

Many years ago, I placed the above story in my files. While cleaning out files, I noticed the article and read it. Wondering if it was true, I researched thoroughly and found the tale to be pretty accurate. On rare occasions, only the bumble bee will find its way out, but rarely.

Believers in Jesus Christ are often like the buzzard, the bat, and the bee. They are struggling through life with all their problems, frustrations, and burdens, even to the point of feeling like a prisoner in their own world, not realizing that the answer is “above” them.

I do not teach and will never teach that life always works out the way one desires. I do teach and will always teach, “What a friend we have in Jesus. All our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer.”

I have found that if I only look for answers and escape routes on an earthly level, it can snuff the life and joy out of me. It is essential that I remember to always look above when I see no way out of something that is trying to hold me prisoner.

A church sign reminded me, that sorrow looks back, worry looks around, but faith looks up! If there is one area that tries to imprison me, it is looking back. If only I had … If only this had not happened … If only I had not said that. I can get easily caged by my past mistakes, and then I remember to look up!

Psalm 121:1-2: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.My help comes from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.”

We often look at these verses and think that the Psalmist is looking up to the hills and that is a high place from where his help comes. There is certainly truth in that statement, but let’s look at that psalm a little more closely.

Psalm 121 is a psalm or song of ascent. There are fifteen psalms of ascent in the scripture. The city of Jerusalem is situated on a hill. Jews traveling to Jerusalem for one of the three main annual Jewish festivals traditionally sang these songs on the “ascent” or the uphill road to the city. (According to some traditions, the Jewish priests also sang some of these Songs of Ascent as they walked up the steps to the temple in Jerusalem.)

As the worshippers traveled the road, they could see the steep journey ahead of them. Rather than turning around and going back, they would start singing about their God who was with them every step of the journey.

The hills that we must cross can easily become our focus and trap us. As people who serve a God who has all power and all strength, we train ourselves to not get trapped by earthly focus. I will look to God who will bring me through the mountain, over the mountain, or around the mountain. And, at times. He will even remove the mountain.

My focus will not be on the mountain, but on the One who has all authority over the mountain. I refuse to be imprisoned when I was given the freedom to fly.

In Psalm 121, the singer is still far from the appointed place of worship, lifting his eyes toward the distant mountains, but He is never far from His God. He bursts forth in song on the steep journey! He looks above to a higher place than the mountains that stand before him.

I refuse to be like the buzzard, the bat, or the bumble bee and not look above. Do you see a steep mountain in front of you today? Look up! Don’t get stuck gazing at the mountain. Sing unto the Lord in the face of the mountain.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” – Psalm 46:1. “Fear not, for I am with you… I will strengthen you; I will help you. – Isaiah 41:10; “Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.” – Psalm 33:20