It's All About the View

Have you ever heard of tunnel vision? Tunnel vision is a condition in which your sight becomes defective.  Your view is limited because the object of your focus has become limited to a single object.  Perspective becomes blurred and usually anxiety and an inability to think objectively soon follows. 

I recently had to spend several days with my dad in the hospital because he had open-heart surgery.  Three of those were in ICU, followed by several days in a regular hospital room followed by another two weeks in a rehab facility.  If you’ve ever spent time in a hospital yourself or with a loved one you know the eerie feeling of loosing track of time, space and simply what day it is.  One day seems to run into another while you focus on your loved one’s recovery, rarely leaving their side except maybe to get something to eat in the hospital cafeteria. 

On one of these days my mom decided to take the opportunity for a respite by staying on the 9th floor of the main floor hospital that had been converted to a hotel for those with family members in care.  We got on the elevator not knowing what to expect from a hospital hotel but the elevator opened revealing a beautifully decorated lobby with an entire wall of unrestricted windows revealing a spectacular view of the city below, blue sunny skies, fluffy clouds, sidewalks lined with trees and park like settings all around.  My great niece who had come along with us was wowed by the view, she said, “I can’t believe all that is down there, I would have never known.”  I was wowed at that point, I took in the view and thought to myself, how limited our view can become sometimes, it made me wonder about what we miss along the way.  What beauty may be all around but because of our perspective we can’t see beyond our circumstance or beyond today.  I can say with all most certainty that your today does not necessarily reflect your tomorrow, next week or even next year. 

Romans 8:25 says this: But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

Hope is a precious thing.  Hope says, I believe there is more, hope causes us to look beyond what we see today, and with faith, believe that we will see what we have hope for. 

Hebrews 11:1 says this: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

I don’t know what may be in your line of sight today but I encourage you to step back and see it from a different view.  Allow the spirit of God to refresh you with hope beyond your current vision.  Let him shower you with courage and strength to see beyond.  You just don’t know what beauty may be out there waiting on you. 

 PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for today.  I may not understand my current situation but I believe that you are Good and that you have good things for me.  Open my eyes to see what you see, in Jesus Name.  Amen.

Necessity of Life

Kurt and I have a few hobbies that we enjoy together, one of which is rock climbing and hiking.  I’m sorry to say we don’t carve out as much time for it as we would like. Ageing bodies and time are not always our friend and so as we’ve gotten older, we don’t do it as much as we would like.  If you’ve ever been on a very long hike or climb you know that one of the most important things you can have is sustenance along the way.  Water first and foremost is important so we would stay hydrated but we also liked to bring our favorite trail mix, beef jerky and maybe a peanut butter sandwich.  It was important if we were going to be out for several hours, expending energy that we take some necessary items to keep our physical bodies energized. 

In Mathew 4:4 Jesus says this:

But He answered and said, “it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God

Jesus was quoting here a passage of scripture from the Old Testament found Deuteronomy 8:3

So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.

It is important for us to know and understand the ingredients of living.  The things that make life abundant and glorious.  One of those very important items is the Word of God.  We could have an abundance of decadent food in front of us with every delicacy that man could come up with but still be starving, empty and powerless on the inside.

 Without God’s Word speaking into us we will find ourselves at the mercy of our environment.  If Kurt and I had not made provision for ourselves on our hiking adventures, we quite possibly may have found ourselves thirsty and dehydrated.  Without energy snacks and some small meals, we may have lacked the necessary energy to reach our destination. 

On life’s journey we will find many ups and downs.  There will be seasons of easy walking on life’s pathway and others with a precipice that seems almost insurmountable and impossible to trek.  But if we have made necessary provision for our spirit man by allowing the Word of God to speak into us then we will discover what Jesus was talking about here.  We do not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.  What does God say about your situation?  When your health is failing, His Word says by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).  When we have no strength, His word says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13).  When we are fearful, he says Don’t be afraid only believe (Mark 5:36)

I encourage you today to make provision for the days ahead by laying up the Word of God in your heart.  You may not see the necessity today but life’s terrain can change very quickly.  Take the Spirit of God for hydration, and the Word of God for powerful, overcoming victory.  We do not live by bread alone but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.  Get to LIVING!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word.  Your Word is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. Forgive me for not giving your Word first place in my life.  I commit myself to no longer take your word for granted but to read it and allow myself to be changed by it daily.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.