"...We look not at the things which are seen,
but at the things which are not seen:
for the things which are seen are temporal;
but the things which are not seen are eternal."
Today Lord, I ask thee to help me view my life through the lens of eternity. Help me to see thy hand and purpose in all things. Help me to live in gratitude and praise.
Have you ever walked into a room and had someone say to you, "Do you see that couch over there? Do you see what I see?" I don't know for sure, but I feel reasonably comfortable in assuming that this has not been your experience... at least... it's never happened to me. On the other hand, have you ever been around someone who expresses overwhelming gratitude and praise at the sight of a fiery sunset and silently thought, "Calm down, it's a sunset! It happens every night around this time."? Have you ever felt perplexed as you've watched someone connect deeply with the stranger behind the cash register? Have you ever sat in a sermon dying for it to end only to turn and find the bewildering sight of another parishioner having a profound and moving experience? Have you ever watched with impatience as a parent lovingly comforts and soothes an out of control, shrieking beast? Have you ever marveled at the strength and vision of a friend who faces a painful and difficult situation with hope and assurance? Each of these people seem to say, "Do You See What I See?"
As we consciously choose to view our day-to-day experiences and interactions with an eternal perspective, our meager lives become transformed into journeys filled with divine purpose and tender mercy. We gain an underlying sense of peace and hope. We become filled with gratitude, because we see God's hand in all things and feel His love permeate each moment of our days. The sunset, that so many drive past and miss, becomes an overwhelming evidence of His matchless power and love. The woman at the register becomes a precious child of God, who perhaps you might be His instrument in communicating sufficiency and love to. That never-ending sermon, becomes less about the dullness of the speaker and more about dropping the petty criticism and working in the spirit to receive the message your Father desires to bless you with. The screaming child, becomes a precious instrument in His hands to help you develop patience and compassion founded in godly love. That trial, which you never would have volunteered for, becomes a blessed opportunity to rely more fully upon your Savior and to have the characteristics of God weaved into the fabric of your soul.
Have you ever wondered how it is even possible that anyone on the planet, let alone so many, could have missed the "star in the east"? How was it so visible to the wise men who knew that following it would lead them to the Savior of the world? Perhaps their ability to "see" the hand of the Divine is what made them so wise.
If you had been on the earth at that time, would you have been one who saw that remarkable sign of God's love?
In the present, what do you see when you gaze into the night sky?
I believe that the answer to the first lies in how you answer the second. Looking into the heavens, do you feel the ever-presence of your Father and His unchanging love? Do you feel overcome with a sense of reverence, awe, and gratitude? Do you see His infinite power and vision? Do You See What I See?
As we consciously choose to view our day-to-day experiences and interactions with an eternal perspective, our meager lives become transformed into journeys filled with divine purpose and tender mercy. We gain an underlying sense of peace and hope. We become filled with gratitude, because we see God's hand in all things and feel His love permeate each moment of our days. The sunset, that so many drive past and miss, becomes an overwhelming evidence of His matchless power and love. The woman at the register becomes a precious child of God, who perhaps you might be His instrument in communicating sufficiency and love to. That never-ending sermon, becomes less about the dullness of the speaker and more about dropping the petty criticism and working in the spirit to receive the message your Father desires to bless you with. The screaming child, becomes a precious instrument in His hands to help you develop patience and compassion founded in godly love. That trial, which you never would have volunteered for, becomes a blessed opportunity to rely more fully upon your Savior and to have the characteristics of God weaved into the fabric of your soul.
Have you ever wondered how it is even possible that anyone on the planet, let alone so many, could have missed the "star in the east"? How was it so visible to the wise men who knew that following it would lead them to the Savior of the world? Perhaps their ability to "see" the hand of the Divine is what made them so wise.
If you had been on the earth at that time, would you have been one who saw that remarkable sign of God's love?
In the present, what do you see when you gaze into the night sky?
I believe that the answer to the first lies in how you answer the second. Looking into the heavens, do you feel the ever-presence of your Father and His unchanging love? Do you feel overcome with a sense of reverence, awe, and gratitude? Do you see His infinite power and vision? Do You See What I See?
Wow, these are powerful, though-provoking questions that I am anxious to answer & ponder for myself. Thank you.
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