“I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear; but now my eyes see you.”
Job 42: 5
Job 42: 5
After much loss, God began a detailed dialogue with Job about this world and God’s sovereignty and power. With a faithful stamina that is truly astounding, Job finally came to a blessed point where he was able to say to the Lord “I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear; but now my eyes see you.”
Believe me, this was an amazing revelation for Job. This was not a casual statement made in a moment of reflection. This spiritual revelation was earned through the death of family members, physical illness and pain, and the loss of his livelihood which brought financial ruin. The fact is, Job was being tested by Satan himself. You can read further about his amazing life and trials in the book of Job. What I want to ponder now is the spiritual awakening that led Job to say…..
“….Now my eyes see you.”
What would it take for each of us to say that to the creator of the universe!? This was not a three-dimensional viewing! Scripture says, in II Timothy 4:8, “We fix our eyes not on what is seen but what us unseen.” This is a spiritual testimonial of all Christians. Job’s revelation was probably a drop-to-his-knees spiritual confession! In Job’s day the Word of God was read aloud because they didn’t have a copy of the Bible,like we now do. After all the hearing of the word- NOW Job has a sacred visual of God’s character.
For us, I have another example….
If, by chance, you saw the block-buster movie Avatar you know how the movie ends. The very last scene dramatically bursts onto the screen letting us know that the main character, Jake Sully, still lives. It is image of the large, vivid eyes of his avatar. Throughout the movie Sully scientifically embeds himself into a creature called an Avatar so that he can step into the world and culture of the people that inhabit the planet Pandora! His goal is to understand the mysterious bond to their physical world. He has a duplicitous purpose but in the end his heart aligns with righteousness and he changes his “view” and therefore his loyalty.
If you didn’t see the movie I’ll tell you that as the storyline deepens, Jake Sully submerges himself further into the culture of the Na’vi people. We learn that, for these natives, the physical and spiritual are linked. Perhaps as Christians we should recognize this as well.
As we watch, in full color, Sully begins to learn the ways of the indigenous and gains a great appreciation for their culture. He begins to grasp the intangible; a spiritual truth to which they hold. They demonstrate this to each other by expressing in words,
and with great honor, the statement “I see you”.
It insinuates a “visual”…but is actually meant spiritually!
As I watched the film this moved me. If only we were attuned to each other in a way that we could better understand the intricate and peer into the hidden heart of things. This movie is not Christian-based and, of course, it is fictional….but it had a great lesson, of which I am trying to drive home….and it is this:
and with great honor, the statement “I see you”.
It insinuates a “visual”…but is actually meant spiritually!
As I watched the film this moved me. If only we were attuned to each other in a way that we could better understand the intricate and peer into the hidden heart of things. This movie is not Christian-based and, of course, it is fictional….but it had a great lesson, of which I am trying to drive home….and it is this:
Through time and circumstance, if we are trained and accustomed to looking for it….we can see into the spiritual realm. With scriptural knowledge and with a steadfast faith we can draw close to God and get to know Him personally….and one day, be able to say, as Job did,
“I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see you”.
“I Lift My Hands”
By: Chris Tomlin
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