The Better To See You With...

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."-(Hebrews 12:2)

"What are you looking at?" I heard in the still small voice that arrested my spirit. My heart was racing in a rush of adrenaline, "You know Lord." A few moments after returning to my anger-driven, self-destructive inward rant of criticism aimed at my disappointment in my then, current situation, I heard it again. "What are you looking at?" I timidly replied, "You are God. You know." I had been driven by the toxicity of my environment to feel utterly disgusted and despondent about my individual call and future in ministry. It was a dark valley at the deepest crevasse along the journey to the base of that particular mountain of faith. I had declared mere hours before at the top of my lungs before God, my wife and an imaginary audience most definitively-"I quit!". I did not intend to resign from life itself, simply ministry. I had allowed my environment to attach itself to my thoughts, and my spirit had become drained in the process. I had gotten alone and began to pray, very selfishly, with misguided motive to be avenged in the midst of the unrighteousness. Rather than seeking the Lord with my Spirit-Man, I sought Him with my barbarian-flesh-man. When I had finished venting my frustrations in poorly crafted confessions, it became silent. Many moments passed, and the echos of my tirade had settled. After I allowed the quiet to fill my senses, I heard Him speak once more. The third time it was not the still small voice that had nudged my intellect earlier. This was an awesome rush of crashing thunder and the power in it stole my breath- "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?" I was stayed to say the very least, and I stood absolutely still, knowing that an answer was required of me. "I... I am looking at my environment." At once I felt a quickening of revelation shake me. I saw in a glimpse of time the positive in the negative and recognized my folly. I received a tremendous moment of reflection from the Lord to recount my behavior, my words and most importantly, my sightlines. Later that night, after having ministered before Pastor Tommy Barnett spoke, I felt a sharp regret for my words, but no release to have them relented and removed from the record of existence. It was as if the confession of resignation was impermiable, irrevocable and although incorrect, unforgiveable. As we joined the congregation, and Pastor Barnett began his message, I was absolutely floored by his opening words. As I began settle into my chair, he uttered two words that I believe were sent from God's mouth to his mouth to my ears:
"DON'T QUIT". He then stunned me into tears. "There is someone here tonight that said that they were giving up. They told God that they were quitting ministry." I felt as though he overheard me, but that was absolutely impossible. "I want you to know that the Lord is telling you DON'T. I also want you to know that He is telling you to stop looking at your environment and start looking at HIM." I was in an instant, renewed.

I realized from that moment, that God is so very gracious to his children, who, for lack of understanding and battle-weariness from the ongoing stretching and trevailing, grow vulnerable. He cared enough for my walk, my purpose and His hand upon my life, that He used that great General of His to speak directly to me. I cannot quite explain in words the impact that has had on me. One specific article of wisdom that was crafted anew in my understanding that day changed my entire walk. I will never again be able to see my environment as the reality of God's economy, intent or plan. What I look at had become of paramount importance. I realized that "what I was looking at" was what was seen. The issues, the challenges and the inconsistencies of my outward environs set the standard for my perception. But what God wants us to look at is what is unseen. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."-(Hebrews 11:1) I wonder how often we fall into the treacherous plot of the enemy found in our eyegate's perception of our surroundings before we gain the ultimate understanding of our perspective's importance. I have written before that our friend and one of our mentors, Dr. Myles Munroe states that "Sight is a function of the EYES, and Vision is a function of the HEART". The sight of the Spirit is SUPER-natural and with the EYES of our heart we see God's truth and our destiny. We become what we see. We absorb what we see. Our eyegates will connect our spirits to our surroundings if we use only our intellect and natural eyes to perceive.

God wants us to remember that this is a temporary state, and that what He sees for us is ultimately ALL that truly matters. We are at a severe disadavantage when we judge our ends by our current states in the natural. Take for instance Abram. In spite of the promise of God to be his shield, his great reward and the previous promise of a son, he does not hear God's prophetic promises. "Behold, (or LOOK) You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." But God's plan is greater, and therefore His understanding of perception is also grander. "Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."-(Genesis 15:3-5) God's answer to him is to "LOOK" onto that which God has the vision for. He set a tremendous example for those of us who look at what is surrounding us, rather than what is SUPERNATURALLY SURROUNDING US.

Throughout the Word of God, He shows us by way of a plethora of examples that we must not judge our natural surroundings to be sovereign or final. God is the only sovereignty, His Word is FINAL. I meditate on 2 Kings 6:8-23 as a reminder of His ultimate and infinite power that is usually unseen by the natural eye. "When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked. "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his EYES so he may SEE." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he LOOKED and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."-(2 Kings 6:15-17)

Your challenges today may seem, by NATURAL SIGHT, insurmountable. It may appear that you are overwhelmed by the onslaught, the terror and the sheer size of the forces poised against you. But I know that "My God shall supply ALL of your needs according to HIS riches in Glory in Christ Jesus"-(Philippians 4:19) I also know that He does not want you to quit. He does not desire for you to surrender to the enemy. God did not lay down His Son as a sacrifice for ALL TIME so that we would fall victim to the piercing lies of the adversary's abuse of the eyegate's perception. We must endure as Christ endured. Knowing that the same architect of our lives and our faith is faithful to perfect and finish them. He will never leave you nor forsake you. God's ideal is that we don't not operate with the eyes that are merely planted in our flesh. He wills that we should be gifted with larger, more powerful eyes, in our hearts, souls and spirits that guide our attitudes, choices and confessions of faith. "For we walk by faith, not by sight."-(2 Corinthians 5:17) The eyes of our faith differ so vastly from our natural eyes. They are much larger, more powerful and by far superior, because they are able to see JESUS. So, as we develop onward with our faith, our sight, our vision in HIM, let us be able to LOOK UNTO JESUS and believe. He alone is the Author and Finisher of our Faith, and with the eyes of faith, we see His plans, His will and His Power... BETTER.