Seeing Clearly

In 1846, when he was 52 years old, Stephen Kearny was given command of the U.S. Army of the West. His assignment: To explore and secure control of the Western U.S. This frequently arduous assignment brought his army through many dangers. They encountered deserts, rivers, and seemingly endless prairies.

Critical to their success was seeing clearly, knowing what was ahead, being prepared, and making the best decisions about the path to take.

In his book about the American West, Hampton Sides describes how Kearny’s army faced particular challenges in mountain regions. “Climbing imperceptibly into a thinner, drier atmosphere, the men found it harder to judge distances.” They found themselves “tricked by optical illusions” and mirages.

One soldier provided this description: “Nothing appears as it is. About a mile distant from us appeared a crystal lake, studded with numerous islands, so perfectly defined that no one could imagine it to be anything else than a real lake. Though prepared for the illusion, many of the men believed it real.’”

Many people go through life fooled by illusions, even depending on the way things just appear.

The Bible encourages us to realize that there are many ways we can be deceived by illusions. That things can appear different than they really are. Jesus warned how easy it can be to make distorted evaluations of others. He warned us why we need to ask God for discernment, about others, about ourselves, about the circumstances we face, and about the world.

In your life, ask God for clarity and wisdom. Ask that you might not be fooled by illusions and the way things appear, but might see the world through His eyes.