Matthew 9:18,23 and 24 As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt down before Him. “My daughter has just died,” he said, “but You can bring her back to life again if You just come and lay Your hand upon her.” When Jesus arrived at the official’s home, He noticed the noisy crowds and heard the funeral music. He said, “Go away, for the girl isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” But the crowd laughed at Him. <NLT>
The crowds’ perspective was that she was dead. Jesus saw her as only sleeping.
The Lord has been talking with me about perspective for quite some time now. How we see things determine our response.
One morning, I got out my silver cross necklace to wear and discovered it was knotted around an earring. I tried to get it unknotted with no success, so I brought it to the master knot undoer…….Ron. After inspecting it, he said, “Well, you’re looking at it wrong. See? Just pull this part and it will untangle.”
When we look at things from an earthly perspective, it is not seeing with the Lord’s eyes.
In John chapter 10, some said, “He’s the Messiah! I believe! Let’s follow Him.” Others said, “No, He’s not! Let’s kill Him!”
John 5:39-40 You search the Scriptures because you believe they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to Me! Yet you refuse to come to Me so that I can give you this eternal life. <NLT>
The Scriptures point to Jesus, it’s not Jesus! You need a relationship with Him to have eternal life.
Mark 6:2-3 The next Sabbath He began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were astonished. They asked, “Where did He get all His wisdom and the power to perform such miracles? He’s just the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon. And His sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in Him. <NLT>
They saw Jesus, the carpenter, not the Christ.
John 8:1-10 A woman was caught in adultery, and they dragged her out in public. They were judging her when they had sin in their own lives. They wanted to kill her….Jesus saw a woman of great value.
How we see things determines our response.
I saw this awesome video on YouTube! Everything seemed to be going wrong in this guys life….he was getting cut off by other vehicles, people were cutting in line at the coffee shop, and barging by him rudely. When he finally makes it to the counter to order his coffee, they have to make more, so now he has to sit and wait. As he is sitting at the table , a dude comes up and gives him a case. Inside are glasses. He puts them on and starts looking around. The rude woman just lost her husband, the man that cut in line is unsure if he will be laid off and able to feed his family or not, another is contemplating suicide…..etc. Startled, the man takes them off, then puts them back on when he gets outside. That’s so God to me! It’s how He sees when the guy has the glasses on. He sees the heart.
I want to see like the Lord does. I ask Him to see the heart’s of people and how to minister to them. I want eternal perspective, don’t you?
1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” <NLT>
Abba, help us to see others and situations as You do. Help us to look past the exteriors, or the wrongs done and see their hearts. Help us to get past ourselves and being offended and hurt and get right to the heart of the matter so we can minister effectively and help hurting people. Help us to see You in others and to encourage each other in the perfect expression of You to a seeking world. We love You Abba. Amen.
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