Are You Wearing the Right Glasses?

There comes a time when most of us need to wear glasses. I’ve needed them for many years, but this past year I’ve had to start wearing them for driving, and I’ve needed stronger lenses for reading.

Without the correct lenses, objects are blurred. I can’t read the necessary road signs ahead when driving, or make out the words of a book or letter I want to read. But if I look through the glasses which the professional optician has prescribed for me, I can see everything perfectly.

It’s the same in our lives – the glasses we look through will determine how we see things. And how we see things will affect how we feel, and how we behave or react in certain circumstances. Wearing the wrong glasses may mean that we focus on the problems we can see, rather than focusing on God, who’s able to work in these problems for good.

If we’re going to see things as God sees them, we need to wear the glasses He’s prescribed for us – lenses of faith and trust, so that even if we can’t see the whole picture (which God can see and is working in), we can have clarity of vision to know God is in control, and always will be when we look to Him. That looking to Him is all-important, for even when we’re wearing the right glasses, we have to look in the right direction! The above verse from Psalms tells us to look to the Lord and to seek His face (His presence). This is how we’ll find strength, peace and confidence in Him. The writer of the old chorus testified to this: ‘Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace’.

Wearing glasses of faith will mean we can receive God’s promises more easily and offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving more readily – not just for what God’s done for us in the past, but for what we know by faith – that He’s faithful and true, and totally committed in His covenant love to caring for us and all that concerns us (1 Peter 5:7), and providing everything we need – whether that’s everyday material needs, or wisdom for a situation or strength when we’re weak (Philippians 4:19).

Faith and trust in God always bring good results, even if not the result we hoped for. God responds in His infinite wisdom, often in ways which are difficult to understand at the time.

Sometimes, we may feel we have very little faith for a situation. At such times, we can be glad that others are praying with faith on our behalf. But God remains faithful, even when our faith is weak. When the disciples said to Jesus, “Lord, increase our faith”, He assured them that even faith as small as a mustard seed could achieve amazing things.

May you know God’s encouragement today to trust Him in all you are going through. He’s faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and faithfulness to me. Today I choose to look to You, seeking to know You more, and desiring to receive the peace and strength which comes from being in Your presence. As I walk with You each day, please help me to see things as You do, and to grow in faith and trust. In Jesus’ name, Amen.