Seeing with Our Hearts

We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! (1 Corinthians 13:12 MSG)

One recent morning I was walking toward the employee entrance at work and saw something that stopped me in my tracks. Rather, I didn’t see something. I am accustomed to seeing our 40-foot tall metal cross on a hill with the sunrise creating a beautiful backlight. Sometimes there’s even a bird perched on the crossbeam or at the top. On this particular morning, however, fog had rolled in and although it is only 100 yards away, I couldn’t see it at all. Not even a hint or outline of it being there.

My next thought was, “Oh well, the sun will burn the fog away later.”

The spiritual principles in play occurred to me almost immediately.

• Just because we cannot see the cross, (the completed work of Jesus) right now, doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
• Satan is the true source of all things (the fog) that obscure our focus on, or our clear view of Christ.
• Our Savior is the only One who can burn away the fog of sin, shame, self-loathing, and bitterness.

Have you ever said, “I don’t see a way out of this?” Perhaps the pain of your current situation is so real you feel like you can’t move. Maybe you wouldn’t know what to do even if you felt like moving.

The Good news is God does and will make a way out when there doesn’t seem to be one. (1 Corinthians 10:13) He will make the crooked paths straight. (Isaiah 45:2) He who sees the end from the beginning has this! And He has you. (Isaiah 46:10)

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)

Have you ever been in conversation with someone and wanted to convey you understood what he or she was saying, so you said, “I see?” You didn’t literally see their words, you understood them, you comprehended and perhaps even empathized with them.

Friends, we need to “see” the enemy for what and who he is, a roaring lion seeking to devour you. (1 Peter 5:8) He’s the bully that’s telling you lies, about yourself and others. He’s the one behind the scenes; at times using people we love to hurt us. He’s the one orchestrating the fog to envelop our world. He’s the one getting you to focus on anything, literally anything else, as long as it’s not Jesus.

I want to pray for you right now.

Father God, according to Ephesians 1:18-20, may the beloved person reading this have the eyes of their heart flooded with light by the Holy Spirit, so they may know the hope, (the divine guarantee) to which He has called them, and the riches of His glorious inheritance. That they will begin to know the immeasurable, unlimited and surpassing greatness of his power in those who believe, working together in Christ. It is in His name we pray, amen.

Focusing on the verses below and praising in song are two powerful weapons when fog envelops our world.

I Am the Light of the World. (John 8:12)

 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus. (Hebrews 12:2)

The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. (Matthew 6:22)

“Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” and “Cornerstone” are two of my favorite worship songs.

I can report that well before noon, the fog had dissipated and our beautiful cross was visible again. It was just as 1 Corinthians 13:12 promised: “But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun (Son) shines bright!”