From my distress I called upon the Lord; He answered me and set me in a large place. (Psalm 118:5 NASB)
My childhood was somewhat magical. We grew up with only an acre field separating us from our maternal grandparents. On late summer afternoons, my grandfather, Pop, would tell me to get my glove. My cousins would join me if they were around. He’d then hit pop flies to us in the field between our houses. We absolutely loved it.
On one such occasion, Polly, my older cousin, told me the baseball looked like a cotton ball to her because she was so nearsighted. I think it was the first time I’d heard the term. I would soon develop the condition myself. However, what impresses me today is how nearsighted I can be spiritually.
Nearsightedness – “A condition in which close objects appear clearly, but far ones don’t.”[1]
We’re told to set our minds on things above, where we’re seated with Christ in the heavenly realms,[2] but eternal things are fuzzy. What we see with our physical eyes are temporal and momentary, but they’re up close and clear and much easier to see.
Orienting our lives around what God is doing in His greater story is not as easy as putting on a pair of eternal glasses. We need Him to reveal spiritual truths to us.
As we seek Him, He’ll show us even our afflictions are producing something so valuable our sufferings are less than nothing in comparison.[3]
God wants us free from ourselves. Free from self-dependence, self-glorification, self-gratification and self-worth. Self keeps us from fully experiencing Him, the source of all Joy.[4]
God wants us to orient our lives around what He’s doing in each of us to give us the freedom to fully enjoy His nearness. He’s asking us to trust in His love, even when we don’t understand. As we glance His way, even during the most grievous difficulties, He’ll cure our nearsightedness. He wants to open our eyes to see that He’s all we need. Ours is to trust in His everlasting love in spite of what we see and experience.
Lord, so often I lose sight of what you’re doing in my life and in the lives of those around me. You tell me to rejoice in You at all times, but this seems impossible. Only You can give me the sight to see Your work in the midst of earthly struggles. Please help me trust You even when circumstances are bleak. Continue to show me Your ways. Reveal areas where I’m still looking only at what’s in front of me and not seeing your greater purposes. Help me see clearly that You alone are my Peace, my Joy, my Hope, my Life.
[1] support.google.com medical information
[2] Ephesians 2:6, Colossians 3:2
[3] II Corinthians 4:16-18, Romans 8:18
[4] Psalm 16:11b
Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures. Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading.
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