OPEN MY EYES
Hebrews 11:1-3 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”
In another blog, “BARNS,” I talked about a barn that I see everyday on my way to work, that it is amazing that it is still standing. One corner, looks like it will topple at any time. But it is sitting on a strong foundation, causing it to stand tall. Well, the other day on my way to work, I noticed a house sitting back on a property, that I had never seen before. It is obvious that it was built many years ago. It is one of those houses that are flat on the front and have a porch with pillars holding it up. I have gone this same route to work but never saw it before. Does that mean that it was not there all this time? No, of course not. It has stood tall for, possibly, 100 years.
I want to tell you of a time in my life, that God reminded me, through His nature, that He is still faithful and by my side, even if I do not actually see Him. I had taken my husband to the emergency room at 5am one morning. Made sure he was all settled and left for my twelve-hour day, working my two jobs. After those long hours, I went home to get some things for my husband. Took our dog with me in the car and headed up to the hospital. After checking on him, I had to go to Walmart to get a couple of things. When I was leaving there, I could hardly put one foot in front of the other. I was so tired! But I could see my dog looking at me from the car and that helped me to make it. Sighed a sigh of relief and started the car. As I started out of the parking lot, I immediately knew something was wrong. I heard the thump-thump and knew I had a flat tire. I pulled back into a parking spot. Reached for my phone. Did not have it. In the hurry that morning, I had left it plugged in at home. Saw a young couple and asked them if I could use their phone. She said of course. As they got back in their car, she told me she would pray for me. After calling my son to come help me, I got my dog out of the car and leaned up against the car and started to cry. Not just a little cry but a gut-wrenching cry. I felt that the world had decided to dump on me that long tiring day. With my eyes closed, I raised my head while praying. I opened my eyes and saw the most beautiful display of stars I had ever seen. Were those stars there or did they just all of a sudden appear? Of course, the answer to that is, they were there already. I just had to raise my head through my tears, and be reminded of a God given display of His goodness-His promises-His faithfulness to always be there. Sometimes, we just have to open our eyes and remember that even though we cannot actually see Him, He has given us so many things to help us to have faith that He is real-a baby’s first smile-the beautiful display of the sunrise of a new day-the beauty of the spring and the fall-yes, even a display of His stars with the knowledge that He is always there for us.
The verse above, comes in a chapter of the Bible, that is often times called the hallmark of the faithful men and women who have faced almost impossible situations but kept their faith in God. “Substance” in the verse above, is the reality that there is a God and faith treats “things hoped for” as reality. “Evidence” means proof or existence. Faith itself proves that what is unseen is real. It is more than just belief that God exists. Faith is the realization that we cannot live, in this world, without Him. If we have no faith, we have no hope of a life after this one. We hope for a home with God one day when we leave this world. This world gives us no hope at times. I still had to go to work the next day. My husband would still be in the hospital the next day. But God instilled in my faith, once again, that there is the reality that God exists and He gave me hope, even through the rough times, that God is real and one day I will live forever with Him in heaven. Through the reality that there is a God, we are assured that He spoke this world into existence.
Through God’s faithfulness, we have the evidence of His reality that gives us hope. I feel our faith involves more that belief in God. Our faith comes from deep within. We need to have faith that no matter what happens in our lives, that through our faith, that we can keep putting one foot in front of the other, even when this world seems to get pleasure out of dumping on us.
I have had many days that I felt the world has dumped on me. But once I get back to my faith in God, through His faithfulness, I realize that this world is just temporary. I cling to the faith that there is hope in the promise of heaven when I leave this earth.
This pandemic has shown us that even though we cannot see Covid, that its evidence has been everywhere. It has been a silent-unseen reality by so many who have passed away from it.
That house I just saw, did not mean it had not been there before. Those stars I saw that night did not mean they had not been there already. Covid, even though we cannot see it, has given us the evidence it is there. God gives us so much evidence of His existence even though we cannot see Him.
The next time the world dumps on you, turn your thoughts to God and His faithfulness. The evidence of His reality is everywhere. We just need to open our eyes and gather in His faithfulness-His reality-His love. Is the world dumping on you? If so, open your eyes to the reality that God exists, even if we cannot see Him.
Till next time.
Keela