Let There Be Clear Vision in 2019

When I was younger, I couldn't see that well. I had trouble seeing the board at school. I would have to ask to sit in the front of the class just so that I could see what was written on the board. I had to sit up close in church so the pastor wouldn't look like a silhouette, shadow, or blob. Everything was blurry at one point during my teenage years. I couldn't make out facial expressions. I didn't do well on my driver's written test because I needed stronger glasses. That was so frustrating and embarrassing! Glasses and contacts have been a part of my life since I was young. Honestly, it didn't really bother me then. It doesn't bother me now. I actually prefer my glasses over contacts. I just want to be able to see! I tell my husband all the time that he doesn't realize how blessed he is being able to wake up and see in the mornings. I have to reach for my glasses first thing. If not, everything is blurry. It's frustrating. I have always worried that my children would have to have glasses as well. Sure enough, my oldest did. He had to get glasses at the very young age of six because he inherited my eyes. He was very excited about wearing them until it was time to wear them to school in front of all his friends. He quickly decided he didn't need to wear them all the time, if not at all. He struggled. He couldn't see things. He was missing out on nature, school, and life because he refused to wear his glasses. Yet, he matured. He didn't care what anyone said or did. One day, he decided that he would wear his glasses because he was tired of not being able to see. He was also tired of the headaches that he was getting because of him straining his eyes. When he finally put his glasses on, he realized how much he had been missing. If only we could do that in our personal and spiritual lives. We walk blindly missing out on so many blessings God offers us each day because we refuse to see with His eyes. We do not see what He sees. Our vision is blurred by the chaos of life! We see negativity, despair, hurt, heartache, pain, suffering, etc. Our attention and focus is skewed by our emotions and perspective. It's all in how you look at things! We are missing out! We need to put on our Godly glasses! We need clear vision for the new year! My pastor talked about the chaos of life being an orchestration of God for our lives a few weeks back and it has stuck with me. What do you see in your life? What are your eyes focusing on? Do you see the glass half empty or half full? What situations are captivating you and distracting you? Do you see clearly or is your vision blurred? We all struggle with this! I've admitted that I struggle in the wife and mommy area. Our life is chaotic. We are super busy! Things pile up. The lists grow longer each day! My eyes often get blurry from looking at all busy calendars and the mess! The laundry, dirty dishes, chores, and the daily tasks get to me and overwhelm me quite often. I just see fully planned weeks, mess, and chaos! I think I may go crazy at times. Yet, I have really been trying to not let that get the best of me. In fact, I am looking at a kitchen that has things all out of place. Landry is piled up on the couch. They are clean clothes, they are just not folded and put away. It's a personal struggle that I will have to intentionally tend to daily. However, I refuse to let it get the best of me. I am tired of spending most of my time at home cleaning and not enjoying my kids. I have been really productive about not being productive this week during the holidays. I will get to things at some point! I am just refusing to let what I see in front of me get the best of me! I am trying to see beyond the mess and the chaos and trying to take in my kids' smiles. For instance, my girl got a bath bomb kit for her birthday. Needless to say, it's just a mess to do. I was not that excited about it. She was ecstatic! All I was seeing was ingredients everywhere, a dirty counter top, food coloring discoloring my counter top and my bowls. Yet, she was having so much fun. She was giggling and mixing colors. She was enjoying herself! They didn't turn out but she sure did have fun in the process. That is where life most likely gets us; in the process. We go through and endure things in this life. We have blurred vision! Life is hard and can be foggy! It can be so tough at times. However, God has a plan. His plan is crystal clear for us. We just have to be willing to see through His eyes and trust Him during the process! We need to change our perspective! He will give us clear vision if we ask and allow it like Joseph did.

Genesis 39:1 39 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.

How could Joseph have guessed or even thought he would someday be an overseer of the house of Potiphar? He was still a servant. He was sold into slavery by his brothers and bought by Potiphar. Why? It is because things are not always what they seem. The Lord had a plan. It did not make much sense to Joseph at the time. Joseph just held on to the dreams and allowed the Lord to work. The Lord moved upon Potiphar to purchase Joseph. The favor of the Lord caught Potiphar’s eye. He knew Joseph was special. Genesis 39:3 says "And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand." Joseph could have very easily had a horrible attitude, negative perspective, and angry demeanor. Please do not misunderstand! Joseph was confused about why he was going through all he was going through. He experienced pain, hurt, and confusion. He probably questioned God from time to time. Look at Joseph’s background. He was loved and was his father’s favorite. He was spoiled. He studied hard and did what he was asked to do. He did not have much experience on hard labor. He did not work in the fields or tend the sheep like his brothers. This was new territory. Joseph had to learn how to work and get his hands dirty. He had to experience being uncomfortable and hungry to appreciate the workers that tilled the ground that produced the food. He had to be lowered on the totem pole to respect and care for the prosperity of all manner of men. He had to be lied on to appreciate truth. He had to learn to serve instead of being served. He had to learn to forgive men who did him wrong. He had to learn to keep a good attitude in spite of the pit and prison. It was a learning process God had set in place. God was allowing this to happen for a reason. How else could he go from being a slave to the overseer of Potiphar’s house? Joseph just did not know the magnitude of how God would use him. Joseph was on the potter’s wheel being molded into a vessel of honor that would save his family and a nation. We do not always understand the things that are being allowed to take place in our lives. We do not always have clear vision; life can get so frustrating. We question God. We ask why. We pray for things to happen and things seem to get worse. We allow circumstances to skew our vision. Distractions blur our eyes from seeing the bigger picture and doing what we know we need to do. We allow present feelings and emotions to surpass God’s plan when we do not see what we want to see or feel how we want to feel. We give up in a sense. We shut down not wanting to experience pain, hurt, and confusion because it is too hard. We pull away from God when we do not get what we want at the time we want it. We are selfish and spoiled. We want convenience. We want it our way. Remember, our ways are not his ways. The things that happen to us are not to break us; they are to better us. We have to allow God to allow things to happen to us to mold us into what he wants us to be. What if the things we are fighting off from happening to us are the things that will help us reach a new level in Christ, help us to save our families, help us to save people in our communities, and help us to touch a lost, hurting, and dying world? If Joseph would have refused to see and trust the bigger picture and allow God to work his ways, the famine would have overtaken them all. Joseph did not let what he was seeing happen to him destroy him. He did what he was asked to do. He worked hard. He did not lose sight of who he was despite the circumstance. He held onto the dreams not knowing when or how just knowing the Lord had a plan. He kept a clear vision, a positive perspective, and a good attitude toward the Lord. Are we going to have clear vision or are we going to allow our vision to be skewed by life? It is up to us. We have to keep our eyes on him. We must focus on the bigger picture trusting God in all things and allowing him to work right now. It is all for our good just as it was for Joseph!

Day 25 Prayer:

Lord, give us crystal clear vision. Help us to see with your eyes, hear with your ears, feel with your heart, reach with your hands, and walk in your steps. Let there be direct and clear instruction on what we need to do, how we need to do, and when we need to do. Let there be a strong focus on you at all times with an assurance everything going on in our lives is for our bettering. It is for a purpose-your purpose and your kingdom! Help us keep a positive perspective expecting greater things to come no matter what is happening right now. Help us keep a good attitude even when our worlds are falling apart. Help us remember you are working even when we do not see what we want to see or feel what we want to feel. Help us not be bitter but better. Help us allow you to work trusting your vision for us. In Jesus Name!

Quote:

The only way you will be able to see life with clear vision is when you view all life from a kingdom perspective. – Tony Evans