Girlfriends in God - Sept. 20, 2012
September 20, 2012
Lord, I Want to See
Sharon Jaynes
Today’s Truth
Lord, I want to see, (Luke 18:4, NIV).
Friend to Friend
The sun had not pried open the day quite yet. We had been traveling for several days, going from one Pacific Island to another, and I had not been able to sleep the night before. While I had enjoyed seeing God’s creation, I had missed our times alone—just the two of us.
Wrapped in a blanket with a hot cup of coffee, I snuck away with my Beloved for a quiet rendezvous before others in the house stirred. As I gazed out through sliding glass doors, I drank in the view of the stilled Pacific Ocean spread before me. All seemed gray in this predawn expanse of sky and sea.
I grabbed my Bible and it fell open to the middle. I didn’t bother to turn the pages. I looked down and read familiar words from the well-worn love letter: “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us,” (Psalm 67:1). When I looked up, I noticed the sun struggling to send its rays through two small openings in the early morning clouds…two holes side by side, like headlights on high beam. As I continued watching the morning sun stretch its arms of light, another break in the clouds provided a slit for the rays to escape. An upturned crescent emerged directly under the two circular beams above. And then I saw it—a celestial smiley face beaming through the clouds…divine delight…a holy grin! God’s radiant smile welcomed me to another day.
I had a front row seat in God’s theater as His glory pierced the darkness and spilled forth grace that filled my heart. Once again, while I rose to pursue Him, He beat me to the punch and reminded me that He was the one pursuing me. I simply showed up. Ah, sometimes we simply need to show up.
God had made His “face to shine upon me,” and my smile, be it ever so small and unassuming, mirrored His gift to me. As if the words in His love letter weren’t enough, He wrote them in the sky like a love-struck-beau. His passionate pursuit amazed me once again, and I was drawn like a moth to the flame of His love. Me—the bride pursued.
Months later, I told a friend about that precious moment God and I shared on that small Pacific Island so far away from home.
“Things like that never happen to me,” she sighed.
“Oh yes they do,” I corrected. “You just need to learn how to recognize them.”
And I believe that with all my heart. God has pulled out all the stops to reveal glimpses of His glory. But many, I dare say most, don’t see it, don’t hear it, and don’t taste it. “Blessed are your eyes because they see,” Jesus said, “and your ears because they hear” (Matthew 13:16).
Today, I sit with the blind beggar- face upturned.
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.
“Lord, I want to see.” (Luke 18:41 NIV)
Let’s Pray
Lord, I don’t want to miss a single moment of sudden glory when You make Your presence known in my life. Help me to see. Help me to listen. Help me to not allow the busyness of life block out my view of the Source of Life.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Memorize Luke 18:41 today. It’s very simple. Say it often, and be on the lookout for moments where God makes His presence known.
Click over to my blog page and tell me about a time when God made Himself very real to you. It could be as simple as a sunset, as complex as a physical healing. It’s all God.
More from the Girlfriends
Today’s devotion was taken from A Sudden Glory. To download a free sample chapter, pick up some inspirational tweets, or watch a video of me telling this very story, visit http://sharonjaynes.com/a-sudden-glory/.
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