| The Ultimate Word Picture |
Of all the senses, sight is the one we most rely on. Sound, touch, smell and taste add another dimension to our reality check, but we give more credibility to what we see. Other senses are magnified for those who were born blind or have lost their sight. For them, sound, touch, smell and taste become their eyes. However, for the rest of us, sight is our number one checkpoint for verification.
For instance, a low battery warning in a fire alarm can be mistaken for a cricket, so sound can confuse us. Forced to identify something by touch alone (as in a popular game) can be very difficult. Perfume may smell like a flower, but it is not the flower itself. Chefs are expert in making food taste like something else, to please our palate. However, unless we are watching an illusionist perform, what we see, we believe.
This tendency to only believe what we see presents a problem for some people as far as a relationship with God. That may be the reason some people are comfortable with an idol. People often state they cannot believe in a God they cannot see.
God, our creator, knows this is a human characteristic. He knows people want to see Him. He expects those who are looking for Him – who have spiritual eyes as well as physical ones – will find Him.
God's creation is a visible witness of an invisible God. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20 NIV).
Moses, one of the men who walked and talked with God in Old Testament times, asked permission to see Him in His glory. For Moses' protection, God was only willing to allow Moses to see His back for no man could see His face and live.
Job, a godly man who loved God, endured many trials at the hand of Satan who wanted to turn Job from his worship of God. After Job passed the test, he gave a great testimony of seeing with spiritual eyes when he told God, "I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:5-6).
God's greatest gift to mankind came when He revealed Himself in the form of a Man – the ultimate Word picture. The coming of Jesus was His plan from the beginning. When Jesus came, those who had spiritual eyes recognized the gift of God with their physical eyes. He was the one they had been looking for.
Even one of His followers would not accept the testimony of the other disciples when He had risen from the dead. Thomas told them he would not believe it unless he saw the nail wounds in His hands for himself. Jesus appeared before Thomas and presented the evidence he asked for, but declared that those who believed without actually seeing Him with their eyes were blessed.
Multitudes who did see Jesus in His lifetime on earth did not believe in Him, even when they saw the miracles He performed. For them, seeing was not believing because their hearts were hard. Jesus spoke of this disbelief many times as He talked about those who have eyes, but do not see.
There are many throughout history, though, who have believed in God's Savior with only their spiritual eyes. They did not have the advantage Thomas had, but knew in their hearts that the promise God made for redemption was real. Like Job, seeing God with spiritual eyes caused them to repent.
Visualization comes through not only seeing something with our eyes, but words can also paint a picture for us. The same words may not create the same picture for you that it does for me, because we approach a book, story or poem from our own viewpoint, including our background, our education and faith. The picture created in my mind from the words I read is mine alone therefore sometimes making describing it to someone else a difficult task.
God, however, does not have a problem putting into words the picture that He wants me to see. He knows each of us intimately and is aware of the word picture that will meet our need and bring us to Him. The Bible, the written word of God, can speak to each of us in different ways – just the words we need to hear when we need to hear them.
God the Father sent His Son, the Word of God, so that we could see Him. Jesus is the very image of God. If you have seen Jesus, you have seen the Father.
It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Jesus gave us all the evidence we would ever need – His life as the Word of God.
Would you, like Moses, like to see God's glory? You can. Look at Jesus. He gives us a view of the face of God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
© Stephanie B. Blake
February 2012
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| Reflective focus archives |
| Living in the Land of Beginning Again |
| Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). In the early 20th century, Louisa Fletcher wrote a poem entitled "The Land of Beginning Again." Since then, others have added to it and even made it into songs. One version was sung by Bing Crosby in The Bells of Saint... Read More |
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| The Coming of the Lamb and the Shepherd |
| Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock; you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth between Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Awaken your might, come and save us. Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved (Psalm 80:1-3 NIV).Picture the nativity scene. That's easy for most of us. Displayed in illustrated Bibles... Read More |
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| Relating to God as Father |
| "What is a Christian? The question can be answered in many ways, but the richest answer I know is that a Christian is one who has God for His Father." – J.I. Packer What are your thoughts about God as your Heavenly Father? People often form their opinion of God the Father based on their experiences with their own earthly fathers. If a person is... Read More |
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| The Father of Mercies and God of All Comfort* |
| Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God(2 Corinthians 1:3-4). The Father of mercies and God of all comfort is the Father... Read More |
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| Public Figures, Leadership and the Perfect Example |
| For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you (John 13:15).Public figures are normally evaluated on whether what they do matches what they say. This is especially true in politics. Candidates promise a lot when they are trying to get elected. They can pull the wool over the eyes of their constituents for a period of time,... Read More |
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| Disappearing Riches and Riches That Last |
| "Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17). Disappearing Riches Riches are uncertain. They can't be trusted. They can be lost through carelessness, mismanagement or unfortunate circumstances. Some people do it to themselves. Michael Jackson died owing millions of... Read More |
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| What Was So Special About David? |
| Shepherd BoyFrom his very beginning, David held a special place in God’s heart. He was the shepherd boy who killed Goliath with only a slingshot and his faith in God. Perhaps his relationship with God was developed while he was taking care of the sheep in the field. Certainly, we know that his experience as a shepherd gave him the background knowledge for the most... Read More |
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| Separated by a Common Language |
| Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification, according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear (Ephesians 4:29 NAS). English I travel and speak internationally, sometimes with an interpreter, many times in English. In an international setting in a country where English is not the first language,... Read More |
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| Spending Time with God: Digging for Treasure in His Word |
| Going through a long line of prophets, God has been addressing our ancestors for centuries. Recently he spoke to us directly through his son (Hebrews 1:1 The Message). God loves to communicate with His family. That is why He sent His Son, the Word, to live among us. That is why He gave us the Bible, His written word. That is why He puts such... Read More |
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| Trusting God: A Predetermined Choice |
| . . . choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15). The predetermined choice to trust God is a common characteristic of Christian heroes. Their examples are recorded in the Bible, in history and continue to flesh out before us the one thing that pleases God the most:... Read More |
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| Prayer Powers the Life of a Christian |
| Is there a correlation between lack of prayer and the lack of productivity in a believer’s life? What about the lack of positive witness for the Christian church? Have you ever run out of gas on a trip? It doesn’t matter how big your engine is, how well decked out the interior of the car is, or what a beautiful paint job it has. If... Read More |
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| The Waiting Room |
| As I write this reflection, I am in a waiting room. Life is like that. We are often waiting for something - waiting in line at the grocery store, waiting for the traffic light to change, waiting for the mail to come, waiting for the end of the work day, waiting for the week-end, waiting for a call from a loved one, waiting for... Read More |
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| Choices of a Blessed Man |
| Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night (Psalm 1:1-2). Life is full of choices, everything from what time you will get out of bed in... Read More |
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| The Gift from the Heart of God |
| Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, give Me a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water" (John 4:10). Christmas is celebrated practically worldwide. Many cities decorate their streets, homes are brightly lit and draped with garlands and merchants have specials. In Europe, people... Read More |
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| Loving God Completely |
| And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength (Mark 12:30). Christianity is a hot topic these days. Much of the conversation revolves around keeping faith separate from everything else. In some countries, Christians are physically persecuted for sharing their faith. In many European countries, people state, "Religion is... Read More |
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| The Eyes of Jesus |
| Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to be a follower of Jesus during His earthly life: to have witnessed His birth, watched Him grow as a boy, seen Him perform duties at home, listened to Him talking with the wise men of the day, been present when He called His disciples, seen His miracles firsthand, watched Him walk the Via Dolorosa,... Read More |
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| The Christian Common Denominator |
| For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. . . There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26, 28 NKJV). A well known definition for common denominator deals with mathematics: A quantity into which all the denominators of a set of... Read More |
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| Avoiding Spiritual Heat Stroke |
| As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God (Psalm 42:1-2a NKJV). It has been a very hot summer. In fact, many are saying this is the hottest summer on record. Since yard maintenance needs to be done no matter what the weather, it has been necessary to protect... Read More |
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| The Price of Freedom is Sacrificial Love |
| So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. . . What is important is faith expressing itself in love. . . For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom... Read More |
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| Becoming Like Children |
| My three grandsons are very blessed. Their godly raising is a joyful priority for their dads and moms (my sons and their wives). It is truly a delight to watch them grow and develop under the security and safety of their loving environments. Do you remember the carefree feeling of being a child? Unfortunately, some of you may not have had that kind of childhood... Read More |
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| Men of Faith |
| The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him (Proverbs 20:7). Dad A little over two years ago, my father passed away at the age of 90. If anyone was ever ready to go to Heaven, it was Dad. For years he was fairly consumed with looking for the Lord to come get him “in the air.” Although a layman, he... Read More |
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| Luxurious Poverty |
| “It’s a Wonderful Life” is a story about George Bailey, a very kind man with big dreams who became stuck in his hometown through a series of unfortunate circumstances. His financial situation became so bad he actually contemplated suicide, hoping his family would be able to cash in on a small insurance policy. In order to save him, Clarence, an angel-in-training, gave George a look... Read More |
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| Reflections of a Christian on the 2010 Winter Olympics |
| The Christian life has often been compared to a race. The apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Galatians 2:2, Philippians 2:16, 2 Timothy 4:7) and the author of Hebrews knew their readers would understand the comparison. Although the Olympic games were pagan in origin, people living in Biblical days could see a relationship between the dedication required to compete in games, perhaps even the ancient... Read More |
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| Living with Floaters and Flashes |
| A few weeks ago, while my husband was driving, I was disturbed by moving lines on our windshield. The windshield was obviously dirty, but lines don’t usually move around. Ordinarily they stay put. Returning home, everywhere I looked I saw spider webs – although on closer inspection, there were no spider webs. Later, as I tried to swat away the mosquitoes I was seeing, I... Read More |
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| Rejoicing in Hope |
| Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not... Read More |
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| A Gift for Jesus |
| It was the night before Christmas and all over the earth Only a few people were aware of Christ’s birth. He was not an ordinary baby, for Jesus is God’s Son. He chose to leave Heaven to provide redemption for everyone. The wise men came from afar their precious gifts to bring, Angels in Heaven that day had a new song to sing. Jesus grew,... Read More |
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| Words of Wisdom |
| As it is impossible for me to place a value on individuals who have personally helped me grow in my Christian walk, I also owe a debt to many brothers and sisters in Christ I have never met. These have shared something on paper – authors who have influenced me through their writing. Just because something is in print, doesn’t mean it is true. However,... Read More |
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| No Prayer Too Small |
| Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart (Luke 18:1 NKJV). Recently I read 100 Amazing Answers to Prayer by William J. Peterson and Randy Peterson. In a story about George Müller, the authors stated: Müller kept careful records of everything, including his prayer requests. His prayer notebook had two page entries, one page for requests... Read More |
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| The Promise of Rest |
| Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it (Hebrews 4:1). Travel is wearying. My husband and I do a lot of it. In fact, he tells people that we live in the airport! I love our ministry but sometimes I just want to "be there," and not go through... Read More |
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| The Owner of the House |
| . . . say to the owner of the house, "The Teacher says, 'Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?' And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; and prepare for us there" (Mark 14:14-15 NASB). Recently I met a man whose servant spirit truly impressed me. A layman, he resides in... Read More |
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| Focus is a Choice |
| "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:31 NKJV). Fear, worry and panic (all related emotions) have always been a struggle for me. Loud noises make me jump. I often hesitate before stepping onto an escalator. I had a very hard time watching my sons climb beyond where I could reach them and have the identical response in observing my grandsons. In... Read More |
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| Where in the World is Barnabas? |
| Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another. . . (1 Thessalonians 5:11). In our ministry, my husband and I travel internationally. Because of those travels, I am on a quest. I would like to find one Barnabas . . . or two . . . or three . . . or a whole church full would be preferable. You know... Read More |
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| The Forbidden City |
| . . . abounding in riches for all who call upon Him. . . (Romans 10:12b NAS). My husband and I just returned from China. While there, we were able to view the Imperial palaces and gardens of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Construction began in 1406 and was completed fourteen years later. For over 500 years, 24 emperors ruled from the confines of this... Read More |
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| Pulling Weeds |
| Oh, the joys of those who . . . delight in doing everything the Lord wants. . . . They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail. Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper (Psalm 1:2-3 NLT). It’s spring time in the northern hemisphere. If you are like me, you are always eager for spring.... Read More |
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| Driven by Prayer |
| As you will see elsewhere on this site, Revival Nation Publishing has just published my book, The Prayer Driven Life. The book examines basic questions we all have about prayer. What is prayer? How do we pray? Why do we pray? What difference does it make? By examining the prayer life of the great apostle Paul, you and I discover some great truths about how... Read More |
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