What Do You See?

Articles

by Pastor Mary Ann

29 September 2024

Life is a journey; it is a marathon; it is a process. It takes time, but we live in a world where we expect things to be instant.

As we go through the motion of life, the Lord is asking us: What do you see? Let us see deeper in the spirit.

What do you see when you see people?

Mark 8:23–24 (NKJV): "So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, 'I see men like trees, walking.'

The blind man had sight, but he could not see clearly. He saw men like trees.

Likewise, what do you see when you look at people? What do the older generation see when they look at the younger generation and vice versa? Do we see with eyes of criticism or judgment? Do we draw our own conclusions about each other?

When we come into God’s presence, who are we worshipping? Are we truly worshipping in spirit and in truth, or are we just being hyped up by the ambiance and music around us? We need to check what our motivation is when we come to worship the Lord. It is all about Him.

The Holy Spirit speaks everyone’s lingo, but only if we come with hearts fully prepared to be ministered to by Him. Let Jesus always be the center when we worship together.

We need to see people as God created each one of them in His image; they are precious. We need to see people through the Lord’s eyes of compassion.

Matthew 9:36–38 (NKJV): "But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.'

Jesus touched the blind man’s eyes again, and this time he saw everyone clearly. Perhaps we need to undergo a spiritual eye operation so we can see people without colored lenses of judgment.

Mark 8:25 (NKJV): "Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly."

What do you see when ‘bad’ things happen?

Out of the 39 kings of Judah, there were only eight good kings, which included King Uzziah (although he met with a tragic end due to his pride and unfaithfulness to the Lord. See 2 Chronicles 26:16–21). His reign marked the height of Judah’s power (see 2 Chronicles 26:6–15).

Isaiah 6:1 (NKJV): "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple."

In a time when Isaiah was grieving the death of King Uzziah, he saw the Lord still sovereignly sitting on His throne. What do you see when you go through really tough times?

God answers every prayer, but in His time, His terms, and His way—not ours. Our error is that we often expect God to answer prayers in our time, our terms, and our way.

2 Kings 6:15–17 (NKJV): "And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, 'Alas, my master! What shall we do?' So he answered, 'Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' And Elisha prayed and said, 'Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.' Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."

The eyes of Elisha’s servant were opened to see in the spirit after Elisha’s prayer. Likewise, we need the Lord to open our eyes to see Him in every situation, no matter how bleak things look to us. The Lord is with us.

As we look deeper, we will see past our natural eyes and see with our spiritual eyes.

Jeremiah 1:11–12 (NKJV): "Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Jeremiah, what do you see?' And I said, 'I see a branch of an almond tree.' Then the Lord said to me, 'You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.'

What has God spoken over you, your family, your ministry, or your workplace? God has a plan and purpose for us, and He is watching over His Word to perform it. The almond tree is symbolic of hope and renewal. Do we see hope, renewal, and regeneration?