Departures

Looking Through His Eyes

“Let me see this world, dear Lord,

As though I were looking through Your eyes.

A world of men who don’t want You Lord,

But a world for which You died.

Let me kneel with You in the garden,

Blur my eyes with tears of agony;

For if once I could see this world the way You see,

I just know I’d serve You more faithfully.

Let me see this world, dear Lord,

Through Your eyes when men mock Your Holy Name.

When they beat You and spat upon You, Lord,

Let me love them as You loved them just the same.

Let me stand high above my petty problems,

And grieve for men, hell bound eternally;

For if once I could see this world the way You see,

I just know I’d serve You more faithfully.”

--Bill Ware

or

--Mike Otto

During the years of my world travels, I was in many departure areas, both on ships and planes. It is always comforting to return home from a trip, all your things in place but it is the departure that brings excitement, expectations.

The Apostle Paul referred to this toward the end of his life, knowing that his departure was close. Like being on the “gangway”, bridge, boarding a large ship or plane... the rush of excitement, expectations. I believe God wants His chosen to have this feeling just as did Paul. “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.” (2 Timothy 4:6)

I envy the bible scholar, minister of the gospel. This writer, scientist, is just a bible student, so fascinated with the story of the early Jewish nation. God's message of the Old Testament spills over with directions to Christians of the New Testament. One is filled with awe at the exactness of bible history, even numbering the men in the various tribes, capable of warfare. We, the church, forget that it has all been predestined but in our gift of free-will, as did Paul, “press toward the mark.” (Philippians 3:14) Like Paul, we do not know how soon we will reach the “mark” but all want to hear the words, “well-done.”

We can only sense God's frustrations with the children of Israel. They knew the miracles-plagues of His deliverance. Yet, over and over, “stiff-necked”, complainers, having seen the waters depart in the Red Sea, heard God's presence at Sinai, always ready to return to slavery... doubts, fears, missing cucumbers and melons.

One from each tribe, twelve, were sent as spies, by Moses. After the 40 day spy trip, returning with a cluster of grapes so large, it was carried by two men, only two, Caleb (name means dog) and Joshua, gave a positive report. So, of the millions who had left slavery, only those below the age of twenty, along with Caleb and Joshua, were allowed to enter the promised land, the others were buried in the desert... on the brink of departure who should have had so much excitement of the promised land of Milk and Honey, God told those about to depart that their children would enjoy the “land which they despised.” (Numbers 14:31)

I never cease to be amazed how God says the same thing over and over or shows us the same thing over and over, sin's ruin and Christ's redemption... the ruin of doubts, fears, faithlessness. God's Sovereignty, omnipotence in everything, the moon a reflection of light from the sun. In our daily lives, trials, we forget the destination of our trip. The first chapter of 1 Peter says it all and then, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:1-7)

The answer is faith, the gift of the grace of our Lord. Faith comes through hearing, (Romans 10:17) and there is a heart transplant... a supernatural event in which the righteousness of Jesus is transplanted to our heart then, we see things differently, hear things differently, act different, a new creation. Like the prodigal, transferred from the hog pen. Those of us reared on the farm know the disgusting “reality” of the hog pen. We are all hog pens until, through the mercy, grace of God, by faith, are saved.

Tomorrow at this time, next week at this time, next year at this time, in my life, heart, I want there to be less of me and more of Jesus.