Earlier this week I made some notes on the words “Lift up your heads.” I knew those words came from a song but had never given that song much attention before. But this time the words seemed to grab hold of me. And I started to think about them. My mind traveled back in time to when I was a Pathfinder. It must have been when I was 11, maybe 12 years old. Our Pathfinder group was participating in the yearly Pathfinder Fair. We had made temperance posters and speeches and the first, second, and third place ribbons had been awarded. We had submitted our Honor scrapbooks, and they had been noted and we received our honors, other projects had been completed and awards given! I was never an artist and that was only possible for me by drawing gridlines and enlarging and copying what was contained in each grid square. I was always amazed that my robin guide picture could actually end up looking like a pretty good robin when I was finished!!
The last stage was the field activities—like the uniform inspection that for us were all homemade by our Pathfinder leader. Other activities included showing off our unison marching skills, knot tying, various races and relays and winners announced. And one other competition. To this day it stands out in my memories. Memories perhaps encouraged by a home movie made by my Auntie and Pathfinder Leader. And my family has delighted in watching it and giving me some loving good-natured teasing when it is watched. The movie shows me taking the soft ball to throw it as far as I and other participants could throw. The winner would be the one who had thrown the ball the longest distance. I threw the ball! And then came the reason for the phrase—lift up your heads! My ball refused to travel forward. Instead, it went up and maybe even a little bit not forward! I think I remember lots of running and ducking! Somebody may have or should have yelled “heads up.” At any rate, I was forever embarrassed! I have known forever that I am not athletic and that I can’t sing! I trust God will fix me someday so that I don’t have to spend eternity knowing that I lack the ability to do either of those and maybe a few other needed fixer uppers!
Whoever invented the phrase “heads up” had absolutely no concern for the person about to be hit. Something is flying toward your head. It could be a baseball, basketball, Frisbee or a completely unidentified object launched by someone whose athletic abilities like mine have exceeded their accuracy. There is approximately 1.7 seconds before impact if you are lucky, and what valuable information does that “heads up” advice provide? “Heads up.” Really? My head is already up. It has been up all day.
Obviously I am fully compliant. And if an object is currently hurtling toward my head, encouraging additional head participation is exactly the opposite of what I should be doing. “Duck” would seem to me to be more useful. “Move” has potential usefulness.
“Left” or “right” would be excellent directions. Even just shouting and screaming while pointing would at least communicate the appropriate level of concern. But “heads up” sounds less like a warning and more like somebody trying to improve the odds of a direct hit.
“Duck.” There is apparently a brief moment in an emergency when the human brain has to decide whether “duck” means “lower your head immediately because an object is approaching” or that “there is an adorable aquatic bird nearby.”
So now I realize emergency terminology needs to be much more specific than we’ve been making it. You can’t just yell “duck.” You need to yell, “Lower your head, this is a verb, there are currently no birds involved.” By then, obviously, something has hit the person with whatever was coming toward them, but at least there was no grammatical uncertainty and vagueness. This also explains why “heads up” isn’t very appropriate. Some people apparently hear “heads up” and instantly calculate speed, trajectory, wind direction and the appropriate evasive maneuver. Others, like me, would hear “heads up” and want more information. Up where? Why? Which direction is the threat coming from? What kind of object are we dealing with? Is this something I should attempt to catch? Because if so, I would strongly encourage everyone nearby to reconsider that plan.
Sports have already provided ample evidence that I should not be trusted around airborne objects. Because of my Pathfinder Fair experience, I don’t participate in projectile sports so much as it provides objects with unexpected travel opportunities. So if you ever see something flying toward me or from me, please don’t yell “heads up.” Probably the safest option is to use complete sentences. “Eileen, there is an object approaching your head. Please move.” Or, “Please lower your head, this is not a duck.” Will this take considerably longer in an emergency? Yes. Will someone probably still get hit with the object? Also, yes. But at least we won’t spend our final 1.7 seconds excitedly looking for waterfowl, and I’ll know exactly why I’m about to get hit. Based on my athletic and survival instincts, that may be the best outcome anyone can reasonably promise.
The song “Lift up your heads” would seem to be written about me! But it isn’t. It has a much more profound message.
Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates! Behold the King of glory waits;
The King of kings is drawing near, The Savior of the world is here.
The Lord is just, a helper tried; Mercy is ever at His side;
His kingly crown is holiness, His scepter, pity in distress.
O blest the land, the city blest, Where Christ the Ruler is confessed!
O happy hearts and happy homes To whom this King in triumph comes!
Fling wide the portals of your heart; Make it a temple, set apart
From earthly use for heaven’s employ, Adorned with prayer, and love, and joy.
Redeemer, come; I open wide My heart to Thee; here, Lord, abide.
Let me Thy inner presence feel, Thy grace and love in me reveal.
The song would be complete for me if it just had the first verse and the last verse! I want to lift up my head to see my King coming and open my heart and feel His presence and love! The words even lift them up o ye doors seems to come from Psalm 24:7-10 in the Bible, which is widely used in classical choral works like Handel’s Messiah and modern worship music. Psalm 24:7–10 (KJV)
“Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.”
“Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.”
God is the ultimate “lifter of your head” who replaces our discouragement and heavy burdens with fresh hope.
Life’s troubles often cause us to stare down at the ground, and we get weighed down by stress, fear, exhaustion and discouragement. Fixating on my problems only deepens my anxiety, making the path ahead feel impossible to navigate. I have experienced that this week. I could only seem to think about the pain I have been having and that there didn’t seem to be any good answers. And yes, my path ahead of me seems to have not a lot of long-lasting success. Another Scripture anchor is Psalm 3:3 reminding us: “But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head high.” When God lifts your head, He shifts your gaze and perspective away from your temporary struggles and restores us toward His eternal strength and protection. Because of His grace, you do not need to hide in shame; you can face each day with bold confidence in His love.
It is so easy to be discouraged, defeated, and weighed down. Yet Psalm 3:3 reminds us of a beautiful truth: God is our shield, our glory, and the lifter of our heads. No matter what circumstances we face, we can find confidence in His protection and strength. He not only walks with us through difficult seasons—He lifts our eyes toward hope. You, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. Has there ever been a moment (think immortalized home movie) in your life where you messed up so badly, all you could do was hang your head? In that moment, did shame take over as you stared at the ground? Whether you’ve made mistakes and embarrassed yourself (think ball throwing), failed at something, or were disappointed in yourself to the point of wanting to give up, the Lord wants you to know He has not given up on you. He is here to be the lifter of your head.
When shame (remember movie of ball throwing) tries to take hold of us and keep us away from the loving arms of our Father, He would rather embrace us and lift our chin to look into His eyes and whisper words of encouragement, grace and forgiveness. Like a loving parent lifts the head of their child, so does your Heavenly Father want to do the same for you.
Unlike our earthly loved ones who are limited to time and space, our Heavenly Father is there for us all the time in every moment. He never gets tired of us. He is not repelled by our neediness of Him, but drawn to us in our deep longing for His love!
Do you feel like your head has hung low recently? (Think the shame of ball going up rather than out!) The Lord is here to lift it back up today. Whether it be shame, embarrassment, or discouragement you feel, choose to run to your Heavenly Father where He can wrap you in His arms like a shield. As you do this, not only will He lift your head, but He will lift up your spirit within you. He has not given up on you!
Lord, help me to run to you when I trip and fall. I don’t want to hide my face from you. Shame is not my portion, for you are my portion. Thank you, Father, for your love that washes over me and casts off all shame.
When difficulties arise, it’s natural for me to focus on my struggles. It is so hard to struggle doing simple ordinary tasks, like sweeping the floor. We may lower our heads under the weight of difficulty, disappointment, fear, or uncertainty. But David’s words in Psalm 3:3 remind us that God is both our protector and our source of confi dence. I need to reflect not on the burdens I’m carrying but how God is inviting me to lift my eyes toward His faithfulness and care. What circumstances are weighing heavily on your heart today? How have you experienced God’s protection or provision in past seasons? What does it mean to you that God is “the lifter of your head”?
Lord, when the pressures of life make me want to give up, remind me to look up. Thank You for being my shield and the gentle hand that lifts my head to see Your victory and joy. Amen.