How Well Can You See?

 My dog Winston is part cat. 

 Don't tell him I said that, but it's true. He loves to curl up in the sunny spot at the foot of my bed and snooze. He tucks his long red tail under his nose so the white tip lies like a mustache on an impeccably groomed southern gentleman and sighs with pleasure. 

This morning he was in his usual spot while I had morning devotions. The South Carolina sun was streaming through the window, and he was full of sleepy doggy bliss when something disturbed his rest. Something was tapping at the window. 

In a metamorphosis that would have rivaled Clark Kent in a telephone booth, Winston went from a comatose canine to a hunting dog on point. Ears alert, eyes straining, he was ready to take on whatever threatened his domestic domicile. 

Winston had a problem, though. The morning mist had fogged the glass, so that instead of a clear view of the trespasser, all Winston could see were shadows and shapes. Winston couldn't see clearly enough through the glass to determine if the source of the noise was a bird, a squirrel, or the meter reader. 

Sometimes we have the same problem. Scripture describes it this way: 

"But now, we see through a glass darkly" (1 Cor. 13:12). 

Sometimes we try to peer into the future of our lives, and all we see are shapes and shadows. Sometimes we look back and see the same. Sometimes we experience trials, hardships, and sadnesses for which we can't see a purpose. 

As believers, we have wonderful promises from God to hold onto when we can't see clearly. Romans 8:28 is one of them. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose." 

One of my favorite verses is a promise that reminds us to take the long view of our lives. It refocuses our blurred vision from near-sighted to far-sighted. "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Cor. 2:9). 

Unlike Winston, who can't see the squirrels through the foggy glass, God has perfect vision. He gives us promises like these so that when we don't understand our current situation, we can trust him, El Roi, the God Who sees, to help us respond in a way that brings him glory. 

If you are experiencing a challenging situation right now, I encourage you to "fix (y)our eyes upon Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. (Heb. 12:2). If you keep your eyes on him, you cannot go astray. "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You" (Is. 26:3).

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