Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV
I still struggle a lot with the above verse. But this is one that should be one of the top 25 foundational keystone verses of the Christian faith. God sees things we don't, and He sees things that we even cannot conceive, as He directly told Jeremiah at one point:
‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ Jeremiah 33:3, NIV
Further, God reminds us that not only can He see and know all things, but He can also do all things:
“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27, NIV
Finally, below is an interesting visual from the perspective of a small plane (a Cessna 182) looking down at the highways from some 3,000 ft above:
The point being, God used this (and other views from 3,000 ft above) to illustrate to me the difference between my ways and what I see vs His ways and what He sees. With Him, there is indeed more.
There’s More
There are plenty of things we can see: trees, stars, mountains, oceans, people, penguins, our best friend's smile, elephants, skyscrapers, coffee beans, sunsets, and tulips, to name a few.
God created all those things. He made the natural world, as well as the laws that govern it.
But there are also things we cannot see: behind the breath of the wind, beyond the depths of the universe, beneath the foundations of love. Through Christ, all things were created—in heaven and on earth, both visible and invisible (Colossians 1:16).
And while our mortal eyes might not be able to see the wind or infrared light or the Spirit of God, we still experience their effects. Because there’s more than what meets the eye. There’s more beyond this life.
Paul’s friends, the Corinthians, were experiencing great hardship. They were being hunted and persecuted because of what they believed about Jesus—that He was the long-awaited Messiah. Some were even facing death. But Paul encouraged them to endure such fleeting trials with a hope that’s beyond this world. He wrote:
There are plenty of things we can see: trees, stars, mountains, oceans, people, penguins, our best friend's smile, elephants, skyscrapers, coffee beans, sunsets, and tulips, to name a few.
God created all those things. He made the natural world, as well as the laws that govern it.
But there are also things we cannot see: behind the breath of the wind, beyond the depths of the universe, beneath the foundations of love. Through Christ, all things were created—in heaven and on earth, both visible and invisible (Colossians 1:16).
And while our mortal eyes might not be able to see the wind or infrared light or the Spirit of God, we still experience their effects. Because there’s more than what meets the eye. There’s more beyond this life.
Paul’s friends, the Corinthians, were experiencing great hardship. They were being hunted and persecuted because of what they believed about Jesus—that He was the long-awaited Messiah. Some were even facing death. But Paul encouraged them to endure such fleeting trials with a hope that’s beyond this world. He wrote:
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Human eyes can only see so much. Human minds can only grasp so much. But we can trust God with all that we cannot see or comprehend.
God is real. We might not be able to see Him today, with our physical eyes, but we can experience the effects of His life. Jesus sacrificed Himself so that you might live, and an abundant life awaits you—both on earth and in heaven. There is more beyond the here and now.
So, will you fix your eyes on what’s seen or unseen? Will you trust your five senses, or turn your heart to trust in Him?
https://bible.com/bible/59/2co.4.18.ESV
Prayer: Jesus, I look to You right now. There's so much going on in my life, but I want You to be the center of everything. Help me to keep my eyes focused on You. Help me to see what You see and worship You in everything. Amen.
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