The bigger picture
Our vision is so often ‘blurred’ compared to God’s, writes Lionel Currie
“Where are my glasses?” Having very recently experienced a ‘third nerve palsy’ of one eye, my vision, at the moment, is not nearly as sharp as it should be. Which got me thinking...
From the beginning of time two of the most frequently asked questions by God’s people are: ‘How long, Lord?’ and ‘Why, Lord?’ Most of us have probably asked those questions at some time.
One reason for our queries is our myopia, our near-sightedness. Our vision, our long-sightedness, is so often ‘blurred’ compared to God’s, who always sees the bigger picture.
Isaiah writes in chapter 46 verse 10, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.” The previous verse twice validates God’s authority to make this claim: “I am God.” To quote from Alec Motyer’s commentary on Isaiah: “The whole sweep of history, from its inception to the things still in process, and on to the end, is under his sovereign rule.”
So often our understanding of what is happening to us is because we live in the present moment. We interpret our circumstances by the immediate effect it has on our lives. But God always sees the bigger picture. Read on in Isaiah 46: “I say, my purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.”
Both Mary and Martha said to Jesus, “If you had been here my brother would not have died,” (John 11). In other words they asked, ‘Why, Lord?’ But God saw the bigger picture. His delayed coming was in order that they would ‘see the glory of God’.
If we truly believe that God is all that he says he is – loving, kind, gracious, merciful, perfect, all-knowing, all-powerful, and the rest – then we need to believe that what he permits to happen in our lives has a purpose. We have to trust that Romans 8:28 means what it says: “In all things God works for the good of those who love him.”
Hebrews 12:2 reminds us that “For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame.” Jesus could see the bigger picture recounted for us in Isaiah 53:11: “After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied.” Beyond all the pain, all the shame, all the ignominy of Calvary, Jesus saw the bigger picture; he was able to die for us because of ‘the joy set before him’.
Life throws a barrage of things at us. Some are powerfully positive, calling forth our praise and worship. Other things, as we see them, are numbingly negative and elicit those two questions – ‘How long, Lord?’ and ‘Why, Lord?’
Our trust in God’s goodness and faithfulness must embrace mountains and valleys, the sunshine and rain, the good times and not-so-good times. God always sees the bigger picture. He knows ‘the end from the beginning’. He is, and always will be, everything he has declared himself to be. For some, our challenges may be health issues; for others it could be job or career matters. Or it might be relationship disputes, wayward children, financial problems – the list is endless. Through them all though, God says to us, “My purpose will stand and I will do all that I please.”
Thank God that he sees the bigger picture. Often that is not currently our viewpoint, but we are called to trust him completely, believing that he is working for our good, and that one day the bigger picture will reveal the breathtaking end result of the final, perfect, panoramic scenography.
For now, we may ‘see through a glass darkly’ but the day will come when, with 20/20 vision, viewing everything from a heavenly perspective, we will say, “He has done all things well!”
And we won’t need our glasses!
Retired for eleven years, Lionel, with his wife Ruth, served in ministry with the Elim Pentecostal Church for 45 years. For eight years he was seconded to the Church of Pentecost in Ghana. His final 20 years were at the now Bridge Community Church in Leeds.
This article first appeared in Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.
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