Eyeglasses, a Bicycle and an Oven Mitt

Life is busy. Even when we consider ourselves “bored”, we really just mean that we haven’t found anything interesting or otherwise worth our while, but that doesn’t stop our day after day from passing by at a regrettably irretrievable clip.
Unless we have a reason to stop and take note, so many things pass by our eyes as random.
As fast as things zip by, once you’re able to look at things with Spiritual eyes, much of the random world begins to look a lot different than you could ever imagine.

In the hands of The Holy Spirit, ordinary things become extraordinary, and can have a lasting impact. In the same way, ordinary men in His hands are transformed and enabled to impact lives to the glory of God.

Look at the glasses, I remember when I didn’t have a use for them at all. Although I can still see very well at a distance, reading small print up close requires the use of magnifiers. When I see the glasses, I think about God’s provision and perfection. Often times we pride ourselves on the things we’re able to do well, especially if it’s a talent we’ve been at for a while. We may not overly express patting ourselves on the back but all the same, we can be (and even seek to be) overly pleased within ourselves. We should never forget our glasses – If it were not for the Holy Spirit showing us things up close, we would still be afar off and blind, but His illumination of The Truth has brought us near to God.

Here’s The Word;

Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

The Bicycle – Some see the bicycle and think, why not a motorcycle or a car? All I can say to that is, He gave me 'bicycle' and I try to stay very careful about writing down; what He shows me, how He shows me, without my help. That actually upstages the fact that He’s personally particular with each one of us. He may show you something different, but it all leads to a revealing of who God is in Truth.
Now, back to the bike – The bicycle isn’t just about transportation, but transformation. To “Go places” on a bike, you have to peddle. You have to be committed to the change of scenery and the change you personally experience as you go.
Peddling is hard and life doesn’t present many opportunities to ‘coast’. That’s not why we’re here. Through toil and endurance, we’re here to be remade.
Most times, our “first” bike is an answer to prayer. We SO want a bike and hopefully there comes that Christmas or birthday morning where we stumble out of bed to see our new bicycle and we rejoice! “YES!!!!!”
Not a glancing thought goes into the work presented by a bike. When we’re older, bikes look very different but it’s that maturity that gives us an appreciation for the transformation.

Here’s The Word;

2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Ahhhhh, and the oven mitt – I remember hearing it preached in churches how we are to go “Boldly, before the throne of Grace.” And honestly, I think as much as I’ve heard it, I still had an issue with something that sounded arrogant about that statement. Maybe it’s just me but I saw a conflict between humility and boldly going before God Almighty. Thanks be to God that I can see it differently now.
Ever go after something in a hot oven without the aid of an oven mitt? Or even just touch the unprotected part of your arm to the hot rack? Nothing like searing pain to grab your attention, right? An oven mitt doesn’t make you bold (or arrogant), it just makes you protected. That’s how I interpret the Scripture now. If we’re covered with Christ, He’s like our Supernatural oven mitt providing protection, allowing us to have confidence when going before Almighty God, Whom the appropriately Bible calls – A consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:29)

When you look at the whole of Scripture, God isn’t simply waiting to enjoy the final judgment where He can release His pinned up anger. Although it true that His wrath is being held back: He’s done WAY more than anyone else could expect in providing us a pardon, sparing us from the searing heat to come.
Remember, we’re His creation and yet, it was HIS Son who was provided to save us. He’s endured teaching us lesson after lesson that His holiness can’t be compromised and our stubbornness holds no escape and no promise of blessing. He’s waited patiently, given us all things that pertain to life, and personally suffered our wanderings toward selfish desires instead of life in Him.

Here’s The Word;

2 Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

I leave you with this: Take the time to look out at your world. Not simply at a glance but pray that God would start to "show" deeper things in the seemingly mundane. Pray that your spiritual eyes would opened and developed to reignite the endurance of your transportation and the excitement of your transformation.
And lastly, that would stay in the place of protection and hold confident in the sufficiency of Christ to safeguard us in the presence of God as we confidently go before Him, seeking mercy and His grace to help in our time of need (Hebrews 4:6).


In Him,
Cros