I was in my car at an intersection, waiting for the light to
change. Through the window of the car to my right, I saw a woman standing on
the curb. It was the view of her upper body that caught my eye. She was
grinning from ear to ear and highly animated, with hands pointing to the
traffic light, while she talked and talked—to herself! Poor thing!
Then the light changed and the car next to me moved on,
revealing the whole scene. A young boy was standing by the woman—indicating
that she was a mom talking with her son, instead of a disturbed woman talking
with phantoms. Her young son had been there all along, hidden from view.
My original assessment of this scene reminded me of the way
in which we often misjudge people and situations based on our limited view. We
notice a fellow employee in a lower position who is hardworking and determine
that he is contending for our job. We consider a bad report from the doctor and
determine that it is the final verdict. We look at the mistakes of our past and
determine that we are failures.
If we are not careful, we end up living—and being ruled—by
the judgments we make based on what meets the eye.
Consider Joseph of the Old Testament. He is an example of
someone who could have been deceived by focusing on what met the eye. The pit
his brothers threw him into after he revealed his prophetic dreams to them
looked like the end of the dreams! (See Gen. 37.) Joseph could have considered
himself defeated, but he kept the faith. In Potiphar’s house, when things
turned from bad to worse for him, Joseph continued to trust God—who took the pit
and made it the very vehicle that moved Joseph in the direction of the palace,
the fulfillment of his dreams (see Gen. 39-41).
Now think about your own life. Regardless of the way things
look, God has a wonderful purpose for you. Where is the evidence? Since God is
Spirit (see John 4:24), He often moves in ways we can’t see.
That’s why we need faith—defined in Hebrews 11:1 as “the
substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (NKJV). We get
glimpses of God and the evidence of His work through our faith.
Today, I challenge you to join me in dwelling not on the
evidence of your calling, but on the God of your calling—the God who is
faithful (see 1 Thess. 5:24); the God who will make it happen, just as His Word
promises (see Phil. 1:6); the same God who brought Joseph from the pit to the
palace.
The God of your calling cares about what you see. He also
cares about what you don’t always see—the evidence of great things yet to come.
PRAYER POWER WEEK OF 1/24/2011
This week as you pray take time to review examples in the
Word that provide evidence of His faithfulness through the generations. Thank
Him that His plan for your life and his faithfulness in fulfilling His promises
is no less secure. Anticipate the good things He has in store for you and
praise Him for it. Pray for
continued direction and let Him know that you are available for whatever He
desires for you. Continue to pray that those persecuted for the sake of Christ
would stand firm, and that the American Church would be among those with
radical passion for God and His purposes. Remember Israel, our military and our
leaders. Thank Him in advance for a great revival and harvest of souls. Heb. 11:1-16; I Thess. 5:24; Phil. 1:6
Joakim Lundqvist