What Do You See?

Have you been in a conflict with a close friend or relative that seemed irreconcilable because you can’t seem to get on the same page, to see things the same way? One of the challenges of relationships is that others don't always see things the way you do. But what really matters is not my view or yours, but to see what God is doing.

When Elisha’s servant saw the hordes of soldiers surrounding Jerusalem, Elisha saw God's horses and chariots of fire. When, as the Egyptian armies thundered on them, the Israelites saw the Red Sea as a dead end, Moses saw God’s clear path of deliverance. When the exiled Jews returning to build the walls of Jerusalem encountered obstruction and harassment, Nehemiah saw opportunity for unity and communicated a vision that resulted in the people seeing the finished project.

When others don't see what you see, or can’t, do what Elisha, Moses, and Nehemiah did. Look to see what God is doing. Yes, you should communicate what you see with clarity and conviction, but with a teachable spirit. And trust that the Holy Spirit will cause you both to see God's will and way. In the end, it isn’t my view or your view that matters. So when we find ourselves in one of these irreconcilable conflicts, let us pray as the Psalmist did: "open my eyes" (Ps. 119:18).

Where is the Weeping?

My Belizean friend wrote to me recently: “I guess that the Good Lord has come to hear the crying of the few, and now He is moving.” I thought about his words 'the crying of the few.' "Yes," I thought, "but how few are crying these days." Immediately the story of Nehemiah came to mind: When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days (1:4a). What caused Nehemiah’s sorrow? Learning that the Jews who had returned to Judah were disgraced by the condition of Jerusalem—its outer walls broken. The same word “broken” is used in Psalm 51:17 for a "broken” heart.

Nehemiah’s heart was broken over the condition of God’s people. And when Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem some months later, not only did he rebuild the broken walls, he ‘restored’ the broken people. The Bible says as he read the Law, the people recognized their sinful condition and wept (Neh. 8:9).

Where is the weeping of God’s people today? Why is my own heart not more broken over the condition of God’s people in our age? Why are we not more grieved over the way this disparages the Lord’s reputation? Perhaps it is time to regard the words of James: Let there be tears for the wrong things you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Then, James immediately provides us with this promise of hope: When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor (James 4:9-10 NLT). But let me end with an even more positive note. After the Jews had wept, confessed, and repented, Nehemiah said: Do not be grieved [anymore], for the joy of the Lord is your strength (Neh. 8:10).