Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Seeing clearly

The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. Psalm 19:8

   It’s the strangest thing:  Millions of Christians say they really want to be wise in their decisions.  They want to follow God in their personal lives, jobs, and families and to experience God’s blessings, but they often fail to do the one thing God promises will give them that wisdom:  soak up the truths of His Word.
   People who devour God’s truth (and that’s the image we get from Jeremiah 15:16) gradually develop a new set of eyes, one that sees beyond the tangible to the eternal.  But that doesn’t mean they’re clairvoyant.  They can’t see into the future or know exactly what God is doing all the time.  Rather, they gain insight about the ways and the will of God.  They aren’t shocked when roadblocks occur, because they’ve learned that God often uses detours to redirect them.  They don’t pout when God doesn’t answer their prayer, because they know God sometimes has a different agenda that is much bigger than theirs.  And they aren’t caught off guard when people disappoint them because they have more insight about the selfishness that’s in their hearts too.
   Learning to see through the lens of Scripture takes time and effort, but most of us gladly expend time and effort on a host of other activities that promise far less.  When I  reflect on how much time I spend reading the paper, watching TV, working on hobbies, shopping, and talking on the phone compared to how much time a spend with the Lord I am shamed. If I love Him, why don't I hunger to know Him more?  Why not more time spent in His word soaking up His truth?
  My prayer this day is to grow in seeking Him. He is here waiting for me.