Seeing is believing
When I took classes on therapy, I learned that the most basic construct in counseling is called “reframing”—a way to help
a client see his/her issues in a new light. Going through “unprecedented”
events (as I have in the past half-year) have caused me to see many things in a
new light. I've learned that seeing is believing!
Peter, James, and John probably knew Jesus better than any of the
Disciples. But when they saw Jesus
transfigured, and heard God saying, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am
well pleased,” they saw Him (literally) in a new light. Likewise, after Jesus death, when “John saw [the empty tomb], he believed” (John 20:8). Of course Thomas didn’t believe until He saw Jesus’
nail-pierced hands (20:28). And at Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus, Jesus called him to “open the eyes [of
the Gentiles] so that they might turn from darkness to light” (Acts 26:18)?
As I’ve pondered my own ‘revelations’ over the past few months, it has
become clear to me God loves us too much to let us walk around hopelessly blind
to His reality. Thus, Paul prayed for us
“that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened—see things in a new light—in order
that you may know the hope to which He has called you…” (Eph. 1:8). What do you see? What do you believe?
I think believing is seeing it. When the Lord gives us a promise in the Scriptures we know that it's going to come to pass if we keep believing although not seeing it at that moment. But we know His Word is true, and HIs Word is truth. So it's just by HIs grace. Wanting to believe and placing ourselves in a position of expectancy and humility we are able to receive that grace which enables us to believe what we don't see, what has been promised by Him who is true to His Word. By faith... Hebrews 11.
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed, Patricia, this is the principle of believing (walking by faith, not by sight) even when we cannot see it yet. But as I reflected on this truth this morning, it occurred how we are limited in faith by not being able to see what God sees!
ReplyDeleteSorry Greg, I just wanted to clarify that I totally agree with what you say, seeing is believing. I think the perspective I am writing about is just the preliminaries to the magnificent experience of what it means to see what you have been believing for coming to pass in its full reality, when it becomes apparent before your eyes and the eyes of everyone around you. Then your faith is bolstered by your seeing, while before it was the other way around.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes I understood what you were saying. I know you were expressing the paradoxical character of God's truth: seeing is believing and believing is seeing!!
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