For Now We See Dimly
Hello Bride of Christ,
"Hindsight is 20 / 20" is how the saying goes. Do you ever realize how much understanding, knowledge, and wisdom you gain from looking back on your life experiences? While you are living the specific situation, right in the midst, you gain wisdom, but it is always far less than what you gain from it years down the road. Since we are finite and cannot know the end from the beginning, and our understanding is limited to what we can comprehend based on revelations and experiences, it is part of God's design for us to learn in this manner.
"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." 1 Corinthians 13:12
Our God is the God who gives revelations and understanding, for Proverbs declares, "The fear of the Lord is the being of knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7). Jesus, Himself, declared, "I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15) It is God who gives the understanding to us when we are ready in His timing. He has given us a great example through the lives of the children of Israel as they journeyed through the wilderness.
Often times as we read through the children of Israel's journey through the wilderness we may find ourselves judging them harshly. Thinking thoughts of "how could you complain?" "How could you be so ungrateful?" How could you be afraid when you have the living God right there with you in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night?" The list goes on of our judgmental thoughts.
The children of Israel, in our opinion, were not an ordinary people. As Moses put it, "You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and all his servants, and to all his land- the great trials which your eyes have seen, the signs, and those great wonders." (Deuteronomy 29:2-3) Yes, the children of Israel did have a very special relationship with the living God. Yet, it was not up to them to understand their special relationship with God. It was not in their power or control to understand it. For Moses goes on, "Yet the Lord has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day." (Deuteronomy 29:4)
"Yet the Lord," Moses acknowledges who was in control of the children of Israel's understanding and ability to perceive the events of their life. It is in the hands of the Lord. The Lord is the One who not only physically created the eyes and ears, but also is the One who is in control of their ability to function in the physical and spiritual. Does that then leave us without responsibility and accountability to learn in the moment?
Bride of Christ, no it does not mean you have no part to partake in through the journey of learning to see, hear, and acknowledge the works of the Lord. What it does mean is that we are not to judge. We are not to judge the blindness and deafness of others. We are not to judge our own blindness and deafness. For the Lord says, " I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings." (Jeremiah 17:10) The Lord knows why they cannot see or hear. The Lord knows why we cannot see or hear at times. "But He (The Lord) said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9) Like the children of Israel, we too have a special relationship with the living God. We to have seen marvelous works, signs, and wonders of the living God. We too have walked each day with Emmanuel, God with us, right in our midst. We too have eyes and have not seen, have ears and yet do not hear all that the Lord has done and is doing. But God, rich in mercy has given us grace upon grace! Today, choose to trade in judgement for grace. Press into His grace and forgive yourself and forgive others for not seeing or hearing the amazing works of God. Choose to walk in grace and allow the living God to open your eyes and ears when He knows you are ready! Until then, choose grace. Choose to see yourself and others through grace colored glasses.
