Job 5:8-9,20-27 and 2 Corinthians 5:16-20
Oh to see with the eyes of faith. On Wednesday I touched on God's vision being quite different from ours. He sees more and sees into the hearts of men (and women). I alluded to our imperfect vision. But with eyes of faith we can see incredible and wondrous things.
If we look at life in the eyes of faith, we will see things that many people fail to see. We will see those "unsearchable, marvellous things without number". We will be able to look at any situation and see the positive side, the silver lining if you will. Of course some things are tragic and we will not see any good with our eyes but with the eyes of faith we can hope and believe that we will see the dawn and light out of even the worst of circumstances.
When I was in the seminary I wrote a 'theme' about entering into the desert as the Israelites did. The desert seems barren. It is dark, dangerous and inhospitable. Your life is at risk. But in that desert there is also hidden life, thriving life and incongruously, water can abound in the most unusual places. What we see as barren wasteland can be alternatively be a place of life. It depends on how you look at it. In addition, when we think of the Israelites wandering in the desert, well, don't we wander aimlessly sometimes in life? With faith, we will be sustained and come to a new life as the Israelites did. Even when it seems hopeless, the eyes of faith can see hope and opportunity for love.
Lastly, in regards to seeing, we all know someone who simply can't see the good in anything.
They have nothing good to say. Everything is negative. I call them energy suckers because they will suck the life out of you if continue to listen to them. We need to train ourselves and to see with the eyes of faith; to see what is good in our lives. What do you have to be thankful for? There are issues in every one's life but there is much more to be thankful for.
With the eyes of faith all things are new, all life is filled with hope and love.
If we look at life in the eyes of faith, we will see things that many people fail to see. We will see those "unsearchable, marvellous things without number". We will be able to look at any situation and see the positive side, the silver lining if you will. Of course some things are tragic and we will not see any good with our eyes but with the eyes of faith we can hope and believe that we will see the dawn and light out of even the worst of circumstances.
When I was in the seminary I wrote a 'theme' about entering into the desert as the Israelites did. The desert seems barren. It is dark, dangerous and inhospitable. Your life is at risk. But in that desert there is also hidden life, thriving life and incongruously, water can abound in the most unusual places. What we see as barren wasteland can be alternatively be a place of life. It depends on how you look at it. In addition, when we think of the Israelites wandering in the desert, well, don't we wander aimlessly sometimes in life? With faith, we will be sustained and come to a new life as the Israelites did. Even when it seems hopeless, the eyes of faith can see hope and opportunity for love.
Lastly, in regards to seeing, we all know someone who simply can't see the good in anything.
They have nothing good to say. Everything is negative. I call them energy suckers because they will suck the life out of you if continue to listen to them. We need to train ourselves and to see with the eyes of faith; to see what is good in our lives. What do you have to be thankful for? There are issues in every one's life but there is much more to be thankful for.
With the eyes of faith all things are new, all life is filled with hope and love.
‘As for me, I would seek God,
and to God I would commit my cause.
He does great things and unsearchable,
marvellous things without number.
In famine he will redeem you from death,
and in war from the power of the sword.
You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
and shall not fear destruction when it comes.
At destruction and famine you shall laugh,
and shall not fear the wild animals of the earth.
For you shall be in league with the stones of the field,
and the wild animals shall be at peace with you.
You shall know that your tent is safe,
you shall inspect your fold and miss nothing.
You shall know that your descendants will be many,
and your offspring like the grass of the earth.
You shall come to your grave in ripe old age,
as a shock of grain comes up to the threshing-floor in its season.
See, we have searched this out; it is true.
Hear, and know it for yourself.’
From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
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