Seeing God Today
Have you ever felt like you couldn’t see God? In John 9, we meet a man who was born blind. While others were seeing the miracles of Jesus, watching Him and following Him, this man saw nothing. That is, nothing until Jesus touched his eyes and opened them. After this miraculous healing took place, the man was brought in for questioning by the religious leaders. He didn’t shy away from declaring the truth of the healing he had experienced. The religious leaders didn’t like that, and they threw him out.
But this man’s journey with Jesus wasn’t over. After hearing that the religious leaders cast him out, Jesus sought him out and asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” (John 9:35 NIV). A term used as a name for the Messiah, the man asks Jesus who the Son of Man is. Jesus responds, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you” (John 9:37 ESV).
Jesus is telling this man that He Himself is the Messiah. In one glorious miracle, this man goes from being lost in blindness to not only seeing the world around him, but seeing the Messiah Himself.
There are times in life where all of us are blind. Maybe we can’t see with our physical eyes. Maybe we’re walking with God, but are struggling to see His hand in our everyday lives. Or maybe we aren’t walking with God yet, and are therefore living in darkness. This story shows us how Jesus wants to open our eyes. He wants to help us see.
Oftentimes, our transformation depends on what we’re looking at. Every time we open God’s Word, we have the opportunity to see Jesus. Truly looking at Jesus will transform all of us. Like the man given sight, we too can attest to the healing hand of God in our life.
The great news? Jesus is as invested in our transformation as we are.
Every day, keep your eyes on Him. God is faithful to reveal Himself to us. If you look for Him, you will find Him.
Remembering God
Have you ever been awestruck by a sunset? Or left speechless by the meticulous details of the living cell, the human eye, the mysterious ocean, or the vast universe? How often do you think about what God has made, or the ways that He has worked?
The psalmist Asaph, wrote:
“I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy, What god is great like our God?"
Psalm 77:12-13 ESV
One of the best things we can do is remember God—how He gives good gifts, writes the best stories, and is constantly making beauty from ashes. He created us, pursued us, and even gave His own life for us.
But remembering God takes intentionality.
Remembering God doesn't happen on accident, which is why we have to intentionally commit to reflecting on Him each day. Purposefully remembering God’s bigness helps us recognize our smallness. Deliberately recalling His goodness helps us understand our deep need for Him.
Pondering God’s work and meditating on ...
“And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth-el. And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, ...
The Mission of God
All of our lives are spent on something. Most people spend their days focused on growing a family, building their career, or amassing possessions.
While none of those things are necessarily wrong, they can become distractions from our ultimate goal in life.
In the book of Acts, we see Paul’s transformation in Christ. As a result of meeting Jesus and being changed by His grace, Paul spends the rest of his life preaching the good news of Jesus.
For Paul, God’s grace and salvation are so great that nothing on this earth is as important as God’s work.
Paul says that nothing in His life matters as much as telling others about God’s grace. His goal in life was to finish his own race well by faithfully accomplishing as much of the mission of God as possible:
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace."
Acts 20:24 NIV
The mission ...