Now to the King … invisible…
Summary: I was going to write this meditation in invisible ink, but I didn’t think anyone would get the joke. 🙂
To a blind man, everything is invisible. Everything.
What is he supposed to believe in? Do other people exist? Are there houses and chairs? Is a car a real thing or just a box that makes noise?
A blind man uses other senses to perceive the world. People say that blind people can be more perceptive in some ways than sighted people.
In certain ways, we are all “blind.” When it comes to spiritual matters, we have to feel our way through life just like a blind person. I suppose, from God’s point of view, watching us stumble around or blindly bump into spiritual realities could be pretty entertaining. At the same time, I know from the Bible that his love for us is more important than a laugh. Watching a child hurt themselves because they don’t know any better hurts us, and it hurts God, too.
Fortunately, we don’t have to stay blind to spiritual truths.
God reaches out to us over and over again. He touches our hearts, convicting us of sin (John 16:8). When we respond to his touch, he lets us know that we are his children (Romans 8:16).
Slowly, like a newborn kitten, our spiritual eyes begin to open. In the stillness of the night we hear his quiet voice (Psalm 16:7).
Jesus himself reaches out to us. We hear his voice and we follow the sound (John 10:27).
Slowly for some, quickly for others, faith grows. We begin to trust what we cannot see. We begin to believe it is real and to rely on the comfort and peace of knowing our invisible King.
Paul describes this process this way:
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)
For now, the King is invisible, but like Job, “I know that my redeemer lives” (Job 19:25), and one day, I, too, will see him with my own eyes (Job 19:27).
Application: Like someone who is blind, trust your other senses.
Food for Thought: How is God showing kindness by remaining invisible for now?
How is God showing kindness by remaining invisible for now?
God’s kindness is in His grace. He desires a genuine relationship with us, and gives us grace to seek Him, as He is already present in our lives. He is not imposing His presence on us, rather for those that seek Him, He makes His presence known. His desire is more than simply that we believe He exists, but that we understand the magnitude and righteousness of Him, recognize and repent from the sin that separates us from His righteousness, and be reunited with Him in His Glory.
Isaiah 30:18
Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.
Acts 17:26-27
26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,
John 20:29
29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Thank you Chris!
I love how you emphasize God’s gentleness with us.
I agree with comments given by CH.
From another perspective – we may want to see God, but in our current state in which we battle with sin, maybe not seeing God is a merciful act. If we were to see God as He is when we are as we are – it might not be as pleasant as we might think.
Isaiah 6: 1 – 5: In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
I think you may be right,
Brother Rich,
I can relate! Woe is me too!
Thank you!