See Him with Your Own Eyes

"O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,

you will weep no more.

He will be gracious if you ask for help.

He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.

Though the Lord gave you adversity for food

and suffering for drink,

he will still be with you to teach you.

You will see your teacher with your own eyes.

Your own ears will hear him.

right behind you a voice will say,

'This is the way you should go,'

whether to the right or to the left.

Then you will destroy all your silver idols

and your precious gold images.

You will throw them out like filthy rags,

saying to them, 'Good riddance!'"

Isaiah 30:19-22 NLT

Times are hard and I feel like I've hit a wall.  I don't know which way to turn, how to get out of the mess I'm in, where to go to find relief.  I've given my heart to Jesus but I'm drifting away, building on a different foundation and my living sacrifice has fallen off His altar (Matthew 7:24-27, Romans 12:1) Yet I want to hear God.  To know His plan for me. Perceive His direction.  Is it possible?  How?

Adversity.  He goes after the lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7).  The ones who belong to Him yet stray away.  The precious lambs of His fold who wander away in search of the elusive something that will never satisfy.  Yet it often feels like the pain He introduces is in vain, to cause me to suffer, to punish me in some way.  The heart of God, however, tells a different story.  He uses adversity as a tool to guide me back to Him, to push me to where I'm aware of my need for Him, to cause me to hit bottom where I've run out of options and come to the end of myself.

Once I'm in the depths of suffering, I cry out to Him for help and find Him by my side, responding to my pleas, compassionately comforting me as only He can (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).  But there's more.  He doesn't leave me where I am, in the state of my choosing, captive to my own sinful flesh.  No, He loves me enough to push me, to shape me into the image of His Son, to use the hardship to teach me hard lessons (Romans 8:28-29).  As He guides He is like a tutor, walking with me one-on-one through the difficulty, not wanting me to miss a precious nugget of wisdom found there.  I find His presence comforting yet challenging, and I grow in my faith as a result.  My bond with Him is closer than ever.

I see God with my own eyes in the midst of adversity.

In Him.  The temple rose in all it's glory on a hilltop in Jerusalem, a symbol of God's presence among His people.  For those who dwelled there, it served as a constant reminder of His loving care for them, of His righteous holiness, of His plan for them as a people.  Today, to dwell in Jerusalem is to abide in Jesus, to stay connected to Him as the Source of life itself (John 15:5).

When I do so, clinging to Him as if my life depended upon Him, I find He is gracious to me, generously responding when I ask for help, extending grace and mercy that I need and heaping on wisdom when I'm at a loss (Hebrews 4:16, James 1:5).  I then find fruit growing that I did not expect, transformation taking place in my heart and a newness of spirit welling up within.  I can't take credit for it's all a work of His hand, as a result of leaning on Him as my everything.  I hardly recognize myself.

I see God at work within me when I abide in Him.

Repent.  It suddenly repulses me, this part of my flesh that once seemed so comfortable and familiar, like a cuddly blanket.  Now it seems more like an enemy, a weapon used to hurt the God I love.  I can't stand it anymore, I must purge these passions and desires from my life, turning from them and nailing them to the cross where they die (Galatians 5:24).  

When I am sensitive to all that offends God, responding when He convicts me of the sin that comes so naturally or gently rebukes me for how my thinking, my habits, or my ways are off, I waste no time in getting rid of what hampers my bond with Him.  It is my desire to always maintain intimacy with the One who made me for Himself and there is nothing that is so vital that I would not give it up out of respect and reverence for Him, treasuring this sacred relationship, my most valuable possession (Philippians 3:8).  As I turn away from the harmful sin, I see Him more clearly, hearing Him vividly.

I see God more clearly when I repent of the sin He roots out of my flesh (Psalm 139:24).

I want to experience God personally, knowing Him as a daughter knows a loving father.  How can I reach such depths of intimacy as I grow in the grace and knowledge of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?  I will see Him with my own eyes when I experience the adversity He introduces into my life as a tool of sanctification, stay in Him as my source of life, and repent of that which offends Him.  In these ways my vision will be restored so I can see Him as He is, not as I've created Him to be.  What a glorious vision!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to let go of that which offends Him.

When do I assume I'm free from sin based on what Jesus has done for me (1 John 1:8)?

What sin am I suddenly aware of, as if I've been given new eyes with which to see?