TAKE THE ‘LONG LOOK’

By Helen Jesze, 4th September 2015

“He, for the joy (of obtaining the prize) that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God,”

Hebrews 12, 2 The Amplified Bible

George noticed the rose for the first time that morning. Of course, we must have passed it every day, going down the steps outside the Pension Chalet in Switzerland, where we were spending our honeymoon. One thousand metres below, the blue waters of Lake Thun sparkled like glittering diamonds in the sun and the snow­capped Niesen mountain, a local tourist attraction, stood like a majestic pyramid in the background.

But that morning as George lay sunbathing on the grass and opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the rose – a nest of dark red, delicate, velvet petals. It was not just its beauty that captivated him, but it was the fact that it seemed larger than the whole of the Thun Lake with its villages clustering on the shores; larger than the Niesen! But that was impossible, for the lake was miles long and the Niesen thousands of feet high. The rose was only about four inches in diameter. The difference was that he was so ​near ​to the rose. It filled his vision down there on the grass, although in actual fact it was much smaller than the objects which were farther away.

George had passed that rose every day and it was swallowed up in the whole of the magnificent view, unnoticed. But it suddenly became important to him when he got down close to it. We may overlook certain things in life and they don’t trouble us too much, but if they suddenly become acute we are painfully aware of them. The problem may not be all that great, but our worrying magnifies it to such an extent that it fills our vision.

An earthquake in Mexico or the famine in Ethiopia is not as awful to you as your aching tooth or the car­ keys you lost that morning. Although your tooth or car­ keys are not as devastating as the earthquake or famine, yet to you personally, they seem far worse. We need to see beyond our immediate problems for that will help us to get things in proportion and gain the right perspective.

Seen in the light of the end result our greatest worries take on other proportions and pale into insignificance. Instead of giving way to panic and sleepless nights, we realize that this problem will not always be there. We are passing ​through ​and life moves on. The car keys will be found or you can have new ones made. Your aching tooth can be treated, and painful though the procedure may be, it will soon be over.

This principle is also true in things which face us that are far worse than lost car keys or aching teeth. There is the doctor’s verdict that there is little hope; a teenage son or daughter breaking your heart by their rebellion; a pile of bills which you have no way of paying. In each situation we must look beyond the immediate problem to God’s intervention, his help and his plans for us.

When Jesus was facing the excruciating agony of death by crucifixion, he looked beyond the experience to the joy and triumph of his resurrection. Death and the cross lasted just a few hours but their results will be for eternity. Moses, who had been brought up as an Egyptian prince, turned his back on this life of luxury and chose to become a nomad in the desert as God’s chosen leader for the Israelite slaves. We can see the reason for his choice in Hebrews 11, 26 and 27:

“He considered the contempt and abuse and shame (borne for) the Christ, the Messiah (who was to come), to be greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt, for he looked ​forward and away ​to the reward (recompense). Motivated by faith he left Egypt behind him, being unawed and undismayed by the wrath of the king; for he never flinched but held staunchly to his purpose and endured steadfastly as one who gazed on Him who is invisible”

Hebrews 11, 26 and 27 , Amplified Bible.

Moses took the ‘long look’, realizing that the reward of obeying God was far greater than anything he would encounter in this life. Yet when we are in times of great difficulty or sorrow, no one can say it is easy to get things in perspective and to ‘look away and beyond’. These occasions come to us all in a greater or lesser degree, and the temptation to worry, fear or panic is enormous. ​Yet the same God who gave His Son strength to look beyond the time of trial, and the God who enabled Moses to fulfil his divine destiny ​is the same God who lives in us​, ​and He will help us.

As we make that decision to take the ‘long look’ and look to Him, He will release His power and grace in us to go through the immediate difficulty, and come out in victory.

Prayer: Wonderful Lord Jesus, you see every situation and problem confronting me. Today I make the decision to take the ‘long look’ , and see beyond these needs. Thank you for carrying me through, for pouring new strength and courage into me, and for healing every wound in my heart. Let me see you as FAR GREATER than my problems – you and your Heavenly army are fighting on my behalf, to bring me victory! I thank you, Father, in the Name of Jesus Christ your Son, Amen!