A dear friend of mine brought a devotional along to our recent vacation to the Outer Banks. The book was appropriately titled The Beach is Calling. Early one morning we walked our chairs down to the beach to read and soak in God’s word. I scanned through the table of contents hoping to find a title that might speak to me. The chapter entitled “Three Little Words” sparked my interest. The words were “as we trust”.
AS WE TRUST
Our lives are like ocean waves. Sometimes we see them crash with a thunderous boom and other times gently ripple. These three words, “as we trust”, remind us to keep our thoughts calm and quiet amidst the distractions of the world. Necessary words meant to allow our broken hearts to rest and rejuvenate, no matter what we see before our eyes. “His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as your trust in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7)
SPECIAL LENSES REQUIRED
After reading, we silently spent time reflecting on God’s Word while listening to the ripple of the waves. We watched the cloud formations dance across the blue backdrop. Suddenly our eyes drew toward the sun as a rainbow halo encircled it. Chills ran up my arms; God’s presence filled the sea air. I took off my sunglasses hoping to get a better view of the aura, but without glasses, it couldn’t be seen. Those lenses were required to bask in the glory of God’s beauty.
As Christians, we are called to view the world through the lenses of Christ; to see people, the world, and circumstances with the love, grace, and perspective of Jesus. The Apostle Paul writes about this type of sight. “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:16-17)
VISION TRANSFORMED
As we trust in Jesus, He helps transform our vision. Witnessing a rainbow halo is a rare and awe-inspiring moment. Light is refracted through ice crystals creating a perfect circle of color around the source of light. As Christians, we have a more important light source, and that is Jesus. His light transforms our vision when we place our trust in Him. “…In your light, we see light” (Psalm 36:9).
Jesus covers every wave and ripple of our lives by His grace when we allow Him to shape our vision. His Spirit inspires us to see life through His lenses—not ours. Are you willing to let go of your lenses and trust Jesus to guide how you see, think, and respond? Something beautiful, complete, and full of color awaits you.