05/02/2023
When we follow God are we close enough to actually see Him? When we look ahead can we see Him walking with Jesus as He leads us on? Paul spoke of seeing "Him who is invisible"… do we?
“By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.”
Hebrews 11:27 ESV
When I used to travel in my job I would be gone from home for weeks at a time. While away I couldn't just come home and see my wife, but her vision was always in my mind. Sometimes, while sitting in my hotel room, the memory of her perfume would almost become real to me as I wondered what she and the kids were doing.
Once we have experienced Jesus, or had an encounter with the Father, then their voice, smell, and even vision is forever with us. We long to see them, but even when we can't, they are alive in our memories and with us always. Oswald Chambers wrote of the benefit to us of this phenomenal ability to remember...
"The vision of God is the source of patience, because it imparts a moral inspiration. Moses endured, not because he had an ideal of right and duty, but because he had a vision of God. He "persevered because he saw him who is invisible." A man with the vision of God is not devoted to a cause or to any particular issue; he is devoted to God Himself." - Oswald Chambers
A vision is powerful... When I was a freshman in high school, I played football... I was the smallest fullback of all the teams we faced (103 pounds soaking wet). Needless to say I took a real beating each game and as the season was nearing its end I even had my jaw broken. What gave me courage and perseverance was being able to look to the sideline and see my father standing there. I wanted to please him so badly that I would have run into the line even if the defense was comprised of NFL linemen. When we look up and see God, we should feel that same motivation.... our Father is watching us.
God tells us often that He is with us, and that He helps us, and loves us. One of my favorite scriptures regarding God's presence comes from Isaiah...
“For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Fear not, I am the one who helps you."”
Isaiah 41:13 ESV
And, Jesus tells us the same about Himself, but he also instructs us to teach this to our children:
“teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."”
Matthew 28:20 ESV
Scriptures such as these provide us with an understanding that our visions of the divine are real and keep us focused on our faith in those times when we aren't experiencing them in one of our incredible “God Moments." Verses like these reassure us in those times when we are away from home, or engaged in difficult situations... they allow us to see our Father as He watches, and smell the sweet scent of Jesus as He walks just ahead of us.
Chambers makes a point that if we only believe in God and Jesus when we are face to face with them, then we have nothing. Having faith in what is right in front of us is something that takes little maturity, but to maintain that faith in the absence of something requires much more. Jesus tells us to teach our children; we are to teach them about his commandments and life, but we are also to teach them how to keep the vision of "Him who is invisible" real. When they see Him during those times when He isn't actively revealing Himself, then their faith is maturing. The moment after you feed a homeless person and suddenly realize you have fed the Lord, experiencing your faith is easy, and the image of God is real. But, in those times when you are feeding the many, and all you have to lean on is the remembrance of that moment when God appeared to you as you fed Him, His vision remains strong with you. That is the pinnacle of faith.
A couple of weeks ago I saw a show on television in which a dog trainer had been called because a puppy was tearing up its owner's house while they were away. He was well behaved when his master was home, but the moment he was left by himself he caused trouble. Aren't we a lot like that puppy? Don’t we need to see our Father’s face, and remember His commandments even when we aren’t able to see Him with our eyes, or hear His voice with our ears? And, shouldn’t we teach our children to do the same?
How well do we remember Jesus when we take the bread, drink the wine, or pick up our cross to follow Him? How strong is our remembrance of God’s Word when we recall those times when He answered our prayers, or allowed us to clothe and feed one of His children? This is how we are meant to maintain our faith… by remembering those times we walked with God, or held the hand of Jesus, these are the memories that remind us of Their presence when They are invisible to us.
Prayer:
Father, I thank you for being able to see you always. I thank you for your remembrance when I am faced with temptation, hardship, and suffering. Lord, you are with me always, even when I don't actually see you. Those times when you reveal yourself to me are great treasures and I store them within me to be revisited when I can't see your face. You have told me to pray without ceasing, and as I do, I can see you and smell your sweet aroma as you come near. Father, help me to teach my children to sense your presence in those times; even as I do. Help me to teach the young in faith what it means to find you in all things and in all situations. Paul spoke in Hebrews about this, so, Holy Father, teach me to speak of this as well. Let the faith you have built in me become the selfsame faith I pass on to my sons, daughters, and others. Let their faith stand upon mine... so that they can see you better.
Rich Forbes