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Scripture for the day: Matthew 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”
Thought for the day: What do you see when you look around you? Well, the answer to that question often depends on what we’re looking for, doesn’t it? If we’re looking for the worst, we’ll find nothing but death and destruction. If we’re looking for hope, we’ll see things that remind us of the God of hope. Reality is reality and we must face it as it is, but even as discouraging as reality may be, God provides relief when He says once again, “Look up, for your redemption draws nigh!”
Sherlock Holmes and his devoted friend, Dr. Watson, decided to take a few days off from fighting crime. They took the train to Scotland where they’d decided to camp out so they could do a little fishing. Once they arrived each of them went about setting up the tent, arranging their food and cooking utensils, and making sure they were comfortable enough to truly enjoy the experience. After a quick lunch they grabbed their fishing gear and spent a most enjoyable afternoon angling for trout in a nearby stream.
Finally, after a wonderful dinner of fresh trout, they crawled into the tent to get some much-needed rest. Sometime during the night Holmes suddenly woke up and immediately poked Watson until he too was wide awake.
“Watson; look up,” said Holmes to his friend. “What do you see?”
“Why Holmes, I see the stars, and aren’t they lovely tonight?”
“Watson, what do they tell you?” asked Holmes.
“Well, astrologically, I see Gemini rising in the house of Capricorn. Astronomically I’m reminded of the vast expanse of the universe and how small we are in comparison. Theologically, I am touched by the majesty of the Creator and humbled that He would consider his creation in light of all He is. What do they tell you, Holmes?”
“Watson, you fool! Someone has stolen our tent!”
Sometimes we look without seeing. Sometimes we’re looking so hard for the deep meaning in something that we miss the obvious. And often we see things without really grasping their significance because our minds aren’t tuned in to what’s really happening all around us. Having “the mind of Christ” puts everything in a completely different perspective than would otherwise be the case.
When Dwight L. Moody was in London during one of his famous evangelistic tours, several British clergymen visited him. They wanted to know how and why this poorly educated American was so effective in winning throngs of people to Christ. Moody took the three men to the window of his hotel room and asked each in turn what he saw. One by one, the men described the people in the park below. Then Moody looked out the window with tears rolling down his cheeks. “What do you see, Mr. Moody?” asked one of the men.
“I see countless thousands of souls that will one day spend eternity in hell if they do not find the Savior.”
Obviously, D. L. Moody saw people differently than the average observer does. And because he saw eternal souls where others saw only people strolling in a park, Moody approached life with a different agenda. Oh, Lord, give us eyes to see and ears to hear as you see and hear. Give us a heart that beats as one with yours so that we might embrace the world as you do – and be willing to give as you did.
When you go to work today, look at the people in the other cars. While you’re at you place of employment or at the store or just taking a walk, look at the people you meet every day. What do you see? Do you see the clerk behind the counter or do you see a priceless soul for whom Jesus died? When you look into the eyes of that homeless wanderer sleeping off the alcohol or drugs in his system, do you see a pitiful waste of humanity, someone condemned to the garbage heap of life because of poor choices he’s made, or do you see someone whose name is impressed deeply on the heart of God?
Come on now, be honest; what do you see?
Now go take on your world. - Bill