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Take a Longer Look

Take a Longer Look
by Joni Eareckson Tada
“‘You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord.” 
Jeremiah 29:13-14
I love looking at paintings. Actually, I stare at them. When you take time to actually observe, you see so much more.
The other day, I wheeled into a gallery and spotted a framed print by one of my favorite artists, who is known for “hiding” secrets in her paintings. You have to examine her work closely to find her little surprises. This particular print was a mountain scene of a trapper and his packhorse fording a river.
At first glance, it was just another Western picture, but the frightened look on the trapper’s face clued me in that there was more to the painting than met the eye. I wheeled closer. Camouflaged behind the rocks were shapes of Indians. A few more minutes of observation revealed more Indians behind the trees. Branches of pine became outlines of bows and arrows. Boulders turned into the angry faces of warriors. The more time I spent in front of the painting, the more I discovered. And the more I discovered, the greater my delight with the painting. Finally, I had found what the artist wanted me to see!
The point? The Master Artist wants you to discover the hidden treasures of His heart. And that requires more than a passing glance.
So often we read Scripture in a one-dimensional way, never venturing beyond the surface. God wants to surprise us with His Word, and so He invites us to look longer and search harder. The more time you spend with Him, the more you will discover. And the more you discover, the greater your delight in Jesus.
Today, Lord, help me not to pass quickly over this devotional thought. Open my eyes so that I can truly see what you want me to see.
Blessings,
Joni and Friends
 
 
Taken from Diamonds in the Dust
Copyright © 1993
By Joni Eareckson Tada
Published in Print by Zondervan, Grand Rapids
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version.
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