Do You See God?
I saw the picture on Facebook and shared it in my news feed, but I couldn’t get it out of my mind.
The people in the boat traveled to Baja California, Mexico, to go whale watching in one of the lagoons where gray whales migrate to have their calves. A friend who saw my post had been there and shared these details with me.
The sightseers were all looking in the same direction, eager to see a whale, but the whale surfaced behind them. Right next to their boat! In the picture, no one in the boat was looking at the whale.
How often do we miss the very thing we are looking for because we are gazing in the wrong direction?
They Didn’t See
Over two thousand years ago, many of those living at the time missed the arrival of the Messiah because they were looking in the direction of their own expectations. This was especially true of the religious leaders, who, like our sightseers, were eagerly waiting and seeking but completely missed him.
The Old Testament is packed with prophecies pointing to the day when God would send a Messiah to deliver his people. The religious leaders studied these texts and were on the lookout, like our whale-watchers. But they had their own ideas about what the Messiah would look like and how he would come, so they didn’t see.
They thought he would be more like a king and less like a carpenter. More like a warrior and less like a shepherd. And there was no way he would come from Galilee! (John 7:27, 41, 52)
Jesus came to His own people, who had been waiting and watching for his arrival, and they did not see him.
Luke 4:18-21 tells us about Jesus reading in the synagogue in Nazareth:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news t
o the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour”—and then, when all their eyes were fastened on him, Jesus said: “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (ESV)
They heard him speak. But they did not see.
Zechariah 9:9 prophesied:
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (ESV)
Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, riding on the back of a colt, fulfilled this prophecy.
They were there waving palm branches. But they did not see.
They knew what was written in Isaiah 53:5:
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. (ESV)
They were there when Jesus hung on the cross. But they did not see.
What Don’t I See?
So, what am I missing? What don’t I see? After seeing the picture of the whale, these are the questions that troubled me.
Do I see God?
I see him when he shows up in big and miraculous ways, parting the Red Sea for me. It takes my breath away. But if I am brutally honest, I am less awestruck by his everyday provision. Do I even notice the ways that he sustains and protects me? Do I see him in the everyday?
Like the whale-watchers, I know that I need to prepare to encounter God. They traveled to the right spot in Mexico and made reservations for the boat trip. Still, when the whale surfaced right next to their boat, they were looking elsewhere.
In the same way, I take steps to encounter God. I get up early and find a quite spot to read and pray. I reserve time for God before my day gets busy. But even then, there are times when distractions have me gazing elsewhere. Have there been mornings when God has drawn near to me—right next to me—and I missed it?
Open My Eyes
One of my favorite biblical stories is found in 2 Kings 6. Elisha and his servant are surrounded by a Syrian army, and the servant is terrified. Elisha calmly reassures him: “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (v. 16). Elisha asks God to open his servant’s eyes, and “he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (v. 17).
Like Elisha, I am asking God to open my eyes so that I may see all the ways he protects and provides for me. To open my eyes so that I can see him.
and her husband of thirty-three years live in Gainesville, FL. They have moved a dozen times, raising three children along the way. They have added a son-in-law, daughter-in-law, and two precious grandsons to the mix. When she is not packing or unpacking, Ann enjoys serving as a mentor mom for MOPS International, joining Bible studies, meeting friends for coffee, taking long walks, and watching lots of football. Ann is passionate about using lessons from her journey to help other women navigate change in their own lives.
Photograph © Nadia Levenets, used with permission
