“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.  Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:34).

Coming from the direction of church, on the corner where I turn right to my street, is a “physic house.”  From the looks of the inside through the picture windows, they are open for business day and night.  I often wondered if they got enough business to pay their utilities, but apparently they do or they would have had to close up shop.

I had to sigh to think that people swap their hard-earned money for some “fortune teller” to tell them things that have been surreptitiously gleaned from their conversation with the “physic” who takes the information and weaves the person’s “future” which now they will try to live up to.

Then my mind goes to all the witches/wizards movies and television shows that have cropped up over recent years.  The ratings are high on these movies and programs.  Why is that?

People want to know what is coming tomorrow or next year and how it will impact their lives.  The world’s economy is in the news daily, and mostly it is not encouraging.  What are we to do to have peace of mind?  Go to the physic, ask the wizard or spend our days and nights worrying how it will all end and will we survive these troubled times?  Will a new day, a new year or next week bring better times?  Sometimes we feel we must look long and hard for something to be thankful for in these uncertain times. 

I have good news!  I know who is in control and knows how this world began as well as the very end of “time” and how it will all turn out.

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God” (Psalm 99:2).

We want to “see” what the future holds.  We desire to have vision through the misty clouds of the unknown.  How can we make plans that we can execute successfully if we don’t know what will come our way and awaits us tomorrow?  The old adage says that the “plans of mice and men often go awry.”  A physic knows no more about what will come in the future than we do.  But there is one who does know!

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). 

If we want to “see” the Kingdom of God, the answer lies in God’s Word.

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, ‘Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).  This has a double meaning:  We cannot “see” the kingdom now with our carnal mind, nor will we “see” the Heavenly Kingdom of God in eternity apart from God's plan.  .

To be in God’s kingdom is to have sight that we can see no other way.  To those outside the kingdom of God, it’s a fantasy world, a “pie in the sky.”  They look at it with impaired vision.  We have to have “kingdom vision” to know that it is very real.  Not only is it real, it is an eternal kingdom; and we can be a part of it.  How we look at things is very important.  Our mind follows our vision, and then our actions go along.

“It is a proven fact that a person will head in the direction they are looking.  This is literally true, as well as figuratively true.  Stop and consider for a moment what it is you spend most of your time “looking” at.  Your eyes see it, your mind thinks it, your imagination dwells upon it, your soul desires it — and eventually you do it….

"When everything is going down, look up.” 

From “The Eyes Lead”  ...James Ryle

So what we “see,” we do.  Whether we see with our mind, imagination or literally with our eyes, we are guided to action by what we see.  For example, Jesus taught that to “look” upon a woman with lust was equal to adultery.  The “look” He referred to was not a casual one; it was one that the mind sees and imagination dwells on which leads to actions.

Conversely, when we keep our vision clear and upward, our imagination will be fueled with the Word of God, empowered by the Holy Spirit and produce works worthy of praise of our Creator.

“Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged” (Isaiah 51:1).

When we become perplexed by the daily news and what is happening in our lives, we look to the words of Jesus:

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).

May we keep in mind that “the eyes lead.”  What we gaze upon makes an impression on our mind, fuels our imagination, whets our desire and leads to actions.  If our vision is heavenly, our actions will honor Jesus.  They will be a candle burning brightly to show others the way to the Kingdom of God.  When we are born again, we “see,” we understand that Jesus is real, God is in control and our impaired vision has been healed so that we see clearly.

A life lit by the fire of the Glory of God will be like a city on a hill that others can look to and “see” Jesus.

We must check our vision often and carefully to be sure there is no impairment; so we can see clearly.  When Thomas said they (the disciples) didn’t know the way, Jesus replied, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…” (John 14:6).

May we keep our vision clear to see “The Way”; He (Jesus) leads to everlasting life!  Any other “way” will lead to destruction.

Let us take time to be thankful so that we can more clearly “see” THE WAY, then others can “see” Jesus in us and instill a desire in them to come to Him who gives sight to the blind.

Do you “See”?

~~Delores~~