It is an amazing and mysterious reality that sometimes we just can't "see" what is right in front of us. Human perception is often not as accurate as we might want to think. I remember a number of years ago I had the amazing privilege of hunting Elk in the high country in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. We packed in by horse back and spike camped at high altitude. The scenery was breath taking. The weather was perfect; cool with about six inches of light snow on the ground. On one of those beautiful sunny afternoons, I decided to ride my horse and explore over a couple of mountain tops in search of fresh tracks in the newly fallen snow. About 2:00pm in the afternoon, I came a upon the tracks of what looked like a small herd of elk, moving into the dark forest to bed down for the day. I tied my horse, loosened his saddle and flagged my trail with surveyors tape as I began to slowly follow the fresh tracks. About about an hour of slow stalk, I was startled by a sound in front of me. But to my surprise, I saw through the wooded underbrush what looked like a "dappled horse." In that moment, I assumed that another guide must have tied his horse in the woods and was hunting nearby. As I stared at the "horse"only some fifty yards in front of me, I slowly began to "see" huge antlers emerge out of the dense underbrush. It was only then that I began to realize that the sunlight was filtering through the woods and had fallen in such a way that it made this animal appear like a "dappled horse." As I stared at this magnificent animal I slowly began to realize he was in fact a very large 6x6 bull Elk and was staring at me trying to figure out what I was. We both came to the realization at the same time! He however, was faster! Spinning in the opposite direction and disappearing through the dense under growth. At his sudden movement additional five cow elk sprang from their naps and disappeared over the mountain with the Bull.
I learned a number of important lessons from this experience. First, we don't always immediately "see" what is right in front of us. Second, perception cannot always be relied upon to give us accurate information about reality around us. Now if that is true in the natural arena of life, how much more is it true in accessing "spiritual reality!"
John 1:5-6, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." The word "comprehend" means to apprehend. To make something your own. To take possession of something. Like, "the officer apprehended the suspect, taking him into custody." The word also means, to lay hold of something with the mind. To accurately perceive so as to understand. In other words, "to see."
John is saying, that the light of Jesus has come by invading the darkness, but the darkness could not apprehend it. The darkness could not lay hold of it. The darkness could not understand the light so as to really "see" it. The darkness just couldn't quite "get it!"
To accurately perceive what is right in front of us in the natural, is sometimes a difficult task. To accurately "see" spiritual things takes a supernatural ability given to us by God himself.
I Cor. 2:14, says the natural man cannot receive the things of God because they are spiritually discerned. Meaning we need the Holy Spirit to be able to "see" the things of God.
John 3:3, Jesus said without a "spiritual birth" we cannot "see" the kingdom of God. Meaning, we must receive a spiritual birth by the Spirit of God in order to see the things of the Kingdom of God.
Jer. 5:21, says there are people who have eyes but see not, and ears and but not.
Maybe, you are having difficulty "seeing" or accurately perceiving "spiritual things." One of the best things you might want to do is to:
ASK God for the ability to see and hear.
Matt. 7:11, "If you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him."
Christmas is a time for celebrating the coming of the Light of Jesus into the darkness of this world. However, some are unable to accurately see, apprehend or understand this light.
It is God's delight to give us what we ask for. Ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open to you. For everyone who ask receives and everyone who seeks finds and everyone who knocks, the door will be opened to him. May God give you the desires of your heart!
No comments:
Post a Comment