Theme: Whose eyes do I choose to see with?
On April 8th, 2024, my brother-in-law, Mark, a semi-amateur astronomer, visited us with his huge telescope. It took a lot of time to set up and calibrate this telescope, which was complete with a camera and video equipment. Mark traveled from Pittsburgh, PA., because the event he wanted to record was better seen in Stark County, Ohio, than in Pittsburgh.
On that day, the world stood in awe as God put on a tremendous cosmic show in the form of a total solar eclipse.
What I remember most about this event were the countless warnings concerning how to watch the eclipse. NASA issued its official instruction:
Never observe the sun without proper protection. Get a pair of safe solar eclipse glasses from reputable dealers ... to ensure you and your family remain safe when observing future solar eclipses.
If you would see the moon eclipse the sun, you have to wear a pair of specially made glasses. If you decided you would do it your way to look at the eclipse without proper eyewear, it would appear as nothing more than a big, bright blur, and your eyes would suffer severe damage.
In other words, to observe the sun, you need special glasses to see clearly and safely.
We could easily believe that donning glasses would restrict our view of the eclipse when, in reality, it enhanced the view, allowing us to witness it clearly and safely. It is all about perspective and how we choose to see things. Do we see through the lenses of the world or the eternal eyes of our Lord and Savior? One allows us to see clearly and safely, while the other seems less restricting, but in reality, it limits our view and will cause us harm.
Pastor Dan began his teaching this past Sunday with a few questions. These were, “If God is good, why was I born a sinner? Why does He call me His enemy and then give me an ultimatum-believe in Jesus or go to hell?”
As Kirby and I listened to our Pastor’s clear teaching on our focus as it pertained to this question and Paul’s letter to the Roman church, we were both struck by how complex the question initially appeared until Pastor Dan instructed us to put on our eternal glasses.
Our Pastor's questions changed in complexity depending on whether we see it using our own eyes or through the lenses of the Holy Spirit. On our own, it often looks like this, “?hell to go or Jesus in believe-ultimatum an me give then and enemy His me call He does Why ?sinner a born I was why ,good is God If”. Yes, backward, seeing it from the opposite perspective, the perspective of our flesh, our natural temporal nature. This view considers these questions as insurmountable and focuses on God as a bully and us as helpless victims. Like the questions, the answers using this worldly view will always be the opposite of the truth.
However, when we put on the Holy Spirit's glasses, the questions and their answers suddenly become clear. We know why we are sinners from birth. God calls us enemies because we choose to be His enemies. And, finally, God doesn’t give us an ultimatum; He gives us hope, a cure, and an opportunity to have life abundantly and eternally.
I want to close this week’s blog with a story I once heard. There was once a great flood in a village. As the waters rose higher and higher, a man crawled out of his upstairs window onto his roof. Yet, the waters continued to rise higher and higher. He began to pray, “Lord, please save me from these flood waters. Please have mercy on me and save me.” As the waters rose, a helicopter appeared, and a man yelled to him, “We are going to lower a rope. Grab it and wrap it around your waste.” The man replied, “No, thank you. I’m waiting on the Lord.” As he continued to pray, a rowboat came near and implored him to jump in. The man replied, “No, thank you. Get someone else, as I am waiting on God.” The man soon drowned, and when he arrived in Heaven, he asked, “Lord, I prayed and prayed, and you did not save me?” God told him, “I sent you a helicopter and a boat, but you would not accept them.” It is all about our focus and whose eyes we choose to use.
Scripture: Matthew 14:25-31 (NIV)
“Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Prayer:
Lord, it is almost humorous how we long to seem intelligent by diagnosing questions like these issued by Pastor Dan by our own perspective. Like all of life, when we give up attempting to appear as what we are not and allow the Holy Spirit and the Word to instruct us and enlighten us, we can suddenly see the paths and the answers clearly. But then we do not get to boast or look smart, so where is the fun in that? Father, I choose clarity, peace, and humility over a boasting in being lost. Thank you, Lord, that life in you is such an opposite life to what this world offers. Empty me more each day. Amen
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