Seeing (or failing to see) God

Reading the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, there are so many times that people observe Jesus, listen to his teachings and see his miracles, yet fail to recognize Jesus as the Son of God. There are those who watched him closely and then either said that he was crazy or that he must be demon-possessed.

From time to time even the disciples couldn’t make sense out of Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God.

The problem was that in every way, from the places he hung out, to the people he healed, to the truth of his teachings, everything Jesus said and did was evidence of the truth of his role, the truth of his mission, the truth of his relationship to his father, the God of all creation.

You see, Jesus never once asked anyone to believe his claim of being the Son of God sent to rescue the earth from sin on the basis of his saying so. NO! Jesus asked for belief on the basis of his works. He said, “Don't believe me unless I carry out my Father's work. But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don't believe me" (John 10:37-38 NLT).

My observation is that things haven’t changed a lot over the last 2,000 years. For those who don’t want to see God at work, for those who want to miss God, for those who tend to be blind to his presence, deaf to his voice and oblivious to his power, it is still easy to fail to understand God’s claim as the almighty one. And it is still relatively easy to dismiss the loving work of our Savior.

Still today there are those who focus on God’s claim to be God rather than seeing God’s works and sensing God in God’s work.

I just had the wonderful opportunity to spend a few days in one of the most awesome areas of our country – the Rocky Mountains and high desert plains. Seeing the grandeur of the snowy peaks, smelling the fresh pine forests, watching the sun rise (and set) over the high desert, observing plants that had adapted to their environment, listening to the rush of overflowing streams (we know all to well that there was an abundance of snow and snow melt this spring), I was seeing God at work. In seeing God at work, I was affirming my wonder and awe for the God of my salvation.

Beyond this very practical experience, I’m also privy to the stories of how Jesus Christ is transforming and changing lives – lives of people who sit in Morning Star pews and participate in our mission and ministry. It is there that I witness my Savior’s power over sin and death and have my eyes opened to the Spirit’s power and presence among us.

Perhaps you’re at a point in your journey where you wonder about the reality of God or where it seems especially hard to “see” God at work. If so, just look around. Just witness the little miracles of the sunrise or sunset, the whisper of the wind, the song of the cardinal, the bloom of a flower, the cry of a baby, or the feeling of your own breath. Just pause for a moment and let your senses soak in what’s around you.

I’m pretty sure that as you do so, you’ll not wonder about God any more. You’ll “see” God and be moved to respond with thanks and praise in your discipleship.

Please post stories of where you've seen God in the recent past. The wonder of it all will encourage all participants.