In a dark forest, shapes can appear eerie, menacing, blocking the way. A single beam of light from a flashlight reveals a path, with unseen beauty.
"...in the light of glory, my distorted perspective vanished."
Psalm 73:17 (The Passion Translation)
When we face dark times, the circumstances surrounding us may look threatening and confusing. But when we ask God for his light and wisdom, he illuminates a way.
The leader of the band dives off the stage with a huge smile. Eager hands catch and lift him up, to his delight, while the joyous music continues to build.
"I lift you high in praise, my God, O my king! and I'll bless your name into eternity." Psalm 145:1
The Bible says that "the Lord delights in his people" and inhabits our praises. He is so good and so worthy that we are free to delight in his joy.
When a sailboat turns to head in the same direction that the wind is blowing, it can deploy a huge extra sail called a spinnaker. The wind fills the spinnaker and gives the boat greater speed as it sails downwind.
Jesus answered,..."The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." John 3:8
When we ask Holy Spirit to lead us, we will find the best direction at all times in our life. He will fill us to move forward with power and purpose.
When the plain basic substances of flour, water and salt are mixed together and baked, they are transformed into tasty bread . Adding oil to the recipe makes the final product more tender and delicious.
"So now faith, hope and love abide, these three..." 1 Corinthians 13:13
Blending faith, hope and love transforms us. The oil of the Holy Spirit makes us tender and compassionate.
In cameras that can adjust the amount of light entering through the lens, the tighter the opening, the greater the range of clear focus from near to far. If the lens is wide open, only a short area will be in focus.
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith...." Hebrews 12:2
The more we center our thoughts on Jesus, the clearer our perspective and understanding of many more aspects of life.
TRUSTING GOD'S RESCUE
If you are in quicksand, it is best to relax, because frantic movements will agitate the quicksand and pull you down faster. Lay back and breathe deeply. Filling your lungs with air will make you more buoyant than the quicksand.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5
The difficulties of life can grip us and make us feel that we are going under. A natural tendency is to struggle frantically to get out, but that can make the situation worse. Trusting in God lifts us up.
Since we do not have a working fireplace, sometimes in the winter we turn on the TV to a channel that just shows logs burning in a fireplace, complete with a soundtrack of a crackling fire. The appearance and sound of fire is very comforting and somehow even makes the room feel warmer.
"He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." Luke 3:16
Religious services and songs can feel and sound godly, but unless the fire of the presence of God is in them, they do not provide true heat and light for the soul.
A compass needle shows a northerly direction but does not accurately point to the unwavering location of true north, Earth's geographic North Pole.
It is the magnetic North Pole that attracts the compass needle, but that Pole's position slowly changes and is now moving toward Siberia.
A sextant is a navigational device that shows true north by looking to the position of the sun and stars, not influenced by magnetic pull.
"I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven." Psalm 123:1
When we fix our eyes upon Jesus, who is the same yesterday and today and forever, we can steer to a true course, not so influenced by the changing pull of wordly matters.
Uncut rough diamonds may look like common quartz. Their incredible durability and sparkling beauty are not readily apparent. Only a master gem-cutter can reveal the full brilliance of the stone.
"By one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Hebrews 10:14
By the unsurpassed power of Christ's redemptive death and resurrection, those who now believe in him have already been made perfect in God's sight. As we continually yield our lives to him, his loving eyes and skillful hands can release more and more of the beauty and strength already formed within us.
GOD'S CHRISTMAS GIFT
During the year's coldest month at Yosemite Park, if conditions of snowmelt and angle of the sun are just right, a dark waterfall over gray rock becomes illuminated like a spill of fiery lava.
"... this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1:27
O Holy Night, the beautiful Christmas song, portrays the world in sadness "til He appeared, and the soul felt its worth." The birth of Jesus shone the light of Heaven into a dark world to illuminate beautiful value in all who believe. God's Christmas gift is the thrill of hope.
IN GOD’S SLIPSTREAM
Slipstreaming is a race car driving tactic when the driver pulls very close behind the car ahead, to benefit from a reduction in air drag. Slipstreaming significantly reduces the overall energy expended to maintain speed.
"I am the way, the truth, and the life." John 14:6
We may be reluctant to follow Jesus too closely, but following him closely is the best trajectory for our life.
Smog often fills many of the world's cities, reducing visibility and impairing health. Yet above the smog, the air clears and pollution dissipates. Bright skies in the day and pinpoint stars at night become visible.
“So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind.” Philippians 4: 8
In Living from the Unseen, Wendy Backlund says that this generation is discovering that "the Kingdom of Heaven is a present tense reality for all believers." When we lift our views above worldly negativity, we begin to breathe the atmosphere of Heaven, purifying our thoughts and making more visible both the beauty and the needs around us.
GOD'S CURRENT
The Gulf Stream is an intense current that flows northward in the Atlantic Ocean along the eastern coast of the United States. Even when the sea is stormy, the warm Stream flows steadily at more than four times the speed of the Amazon River.
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." John 14:1
When we begin to trust in Jesus, we move deeper down into the strong current of his love, protection and purpose. We flow more steadily, less and less buffeted by turbulent waves of circumstances.
The flight attendant explains safety procedures before the plane takes off: "If there is an emergency, an oxygen mask will drop down in front of you from the ceiling compartment. Put this on first and make sure it is working properly before you attempt to assist anyone else."
"In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength." Isaiah 30: 15
It may seem noble and sacrificial to help others before attending to your own basic needs, but this is deceptive. In an airplane emergency, if you don't have the necessary oxygen, you may well pass out and be of no effective help to others. We must not neglect to set aside quiet time to rest in the Lord and receive strength and wisdom from being in his presence. Only then will we be properly nourished and equipped to be a blessing to those around us.
"Hidden programs? That's why my computer's so slow?"
"That's why, but I'm deleting them right now," she said, as the screen showed rows of strange script. "You're loaded with old programs still running in the background. Junk that bogs down your speed."
So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always. Philippians 4:8
"I'm a failure."
"God won't be there when I need him. I've done too many bad things."
"He's probably just some kind of imaginary Santa Claus."
Thoughts like these are destructive hidden beliefs running in the back of our minds. They are opposite of the truth of God, but they are so ingrained and familiar that they are hard to identify and shut down.
Only by discovering God's true nature can we grow in his loving purpose for us.
The North Star is famous for holding nearly still while the whole northern sky revolves around it. Since it marks the way toward true north, it was often used by slaves traveling north at night to seek freedom.
"We look away from the natural realm and fasten our gaze onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith's perfection." Hebrews 12:2
It is for freedom itself that Christ has set us free. When we keep looking to him in the midst of all the circumstances swirling around us, we can keep on the path to true freedom.
Shreds of storm clouds scoot by, below high cirrus clouds that seem almost motionless. Clear sky and the Sun are above everything.
"As the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:9
Storm clouds are like daily troubles, and the high clouds represent long-range worries, but God and his clear perspective are far above them. We can always trust his higher vision, wisdom and love.
Arc welding uses an flow of electricity between two electrodes to melt and fuse metals. The space separating the electrodes is where the incandescent arc of power is created.
For we live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7
Faith bridges the gap between natural reality and supernatural reality. In that gap is where belief fuses the two realms. When we feel that God is not close, we are actually in that space where faith becomes the brilliant arc connecting us to God's loving power.
Northern Lights occur when charged particles from the Sun reach the Earth. The stunning displays are most often seen near the North and South poles because the Earth's magnetic fields are quieter there. The more powerful fields around the central areas of the Earth deflect the solar particles toward the poles, where they freely interact with the atmosphere.
"Be still and know, that I am God." Psalm 46:10
God is always speaking, but our difficulty in hearing him is often because busy thoughts, agendas and emotions deflect his quiet voice, just like the strong magnetic fields around the center of the Earth deflect solar particles. As our preoccupations become quieter and less dominant, we are more likely to perceive the colors and textures of God.
The soldiers put on their red goggles as their leader outlined the objectives for the night's mission. By screening out all types of light but red, their eyes slowly shifted to night vision. When it was time to head out, they were fully adapted to the darkness.
"So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen." 2 Corinthians 4:18
The more we practice trying to see the world as God sees it, the more our vision adapts. We begin to see aspects that we would not have noticed before considering God's viewpoint.