Look ahead at the rest of the year. What can you see? Is it bleak and unforgiving hardness, continued toil without respite? Is it only more pain from seeing the suffering of yourself and of your children around you? Or from somewhere can you just see a glimmer of hope on the horizon?
Lift up eyes is the command God gives to Abraham when he (Abraham|) separates from Lot. For these two, uncle and nephew, the land had become unable to bear their wealth and to prevent a fight from erupting between their herdsman, Abraham nobly invites Lot to choose the land he wanted whilst he (Abraham) would take the rest. To the natural eye, what Lot selects is better, it is greener and bears the prospect of increasing his herd even faster. But then God says to Abraham, lift up eyes, to the north, the south, the east and the west i have given this land to you and to your descendants.
Moses seems to be in a bleak position, between the sea and the army of Pharaoh. It seems hopeless, as though the hope for freedom was only faint and fleeting-at least in the eyes of the Israelites. But not so to Moses, who was confident in the ability of God. And to him God says, Lift up your head and as you see the army of Pharaoh stand strong against you today, never again will they be like this [paraphrased].
Now I invite you; lift up eyes and see what stands against you for as it stands strong in defiance today, never again will it be. The hand of God is about to do wonders on your behalf, to smite all your enemies swiftly and to bring wave after wave of unending joy in your life. Beginning now, beginning today this very moment, behold and see how good the love of God is.