I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

[Adapted from “Seeking Possibilities” by Joanne Gose, January 2025 Daily Bread]

I recently read a story about stargazing that reminded me of an experience I, and the world at large, had when I was about ten years old. In 1957, I lived in Woodland Hills. At that time, this was the outskirts of the Los Angeles area: no freeway, low population density, and good stargazing.

When we heard that the newly launched Russian Sputnik was to fly over our area one evening, my siblings and some family friends gathered on our font lawn, lay on our backs in the grass, and watched with wonder as this manmade object slowly moved across the night sky.

These simple minutes seemed to change all the possibilities about our dreams of sending humans into space. We began to dream that there might be something real about silly movies like Forbidden Planet and maybe we could walk on the moon.

I am an advocate of taking time in our busy lives to gaze at the stars, to finding God in God’s creation, and to seeking the possibilities in our lives. As I considered these thoughts, the scripture that kept coming to my mind was one of my favorites from Isaiah 40:28–31 NRSV.

Have you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary: His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

This poetic scripture, from what is historically known as the Second Isaiah, is addressed to the Israelites in Babylonian exile. They were a displaced people required to try to keep their faith in an alien and hostile environment. After about five decades in captivity, they were beginning to see signs that they might be restored to their homeland in Judah. As they begin to hope and believe in a future, Second Isaiah reminds them of the everlasting promise of God to his people and his ability to restore their strength.

This scripture reminds me that we have only to trust in the Lord, to rest in God’s promises, and we will be given the strength and the imagination to see the possibilities waiting for us. We will be renewed and able to “lift up [our] eyes and fix them on the place beyond the horizon to which we are sent” (Doctrine and Covenants 161:1a). We seek possibilities and find renewed strength in our communities of joy, hope, love, and peace.

Prayer Phrase

“Do not be afraid, for I am your God…” (Isaiah 41:10).

Voices of God

What is the voice of God saying to us? Do we hear the whispers of God’s longing for shalom; God’s dream of beauty and wholeness for all creation? Do we hear the “voice” of God calling to us in faces and eyes, in the sounds of suffering and joy, in scripture and sacred word, in tears and laughter, in silence and noise? Spend a few moments reflecting on when and how God’s voice speaks to you. When did you first feel called to join God in the pursuit of peace and justice? How does the call of shalom continue to come to you through the many “voices” of God?

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.