The Perception From Heaven
He. He’s a young teen fighting epic, galactic Jedi battles, except his battles are real. He’s fighting bears and lions for crying out loud! The youngest of eight sons, he’s also fighting a stack of thoughts and disillusions he’s gathered at home. I can hear the faint, small whisper of discouragement in his heart.
You are just a boy. You are just a shepherd boy.
That’s what others think about him, but up in heaven, God sees a king in that young teen. He calls him, and from there arises a warrior that kills a giant…
Grace’s Reach
She. She’s been used and abused. Seen more like a worn, worthless doll (something) instead of a princess (someone) with a crown. Many men have promised her love and failed her. She feels like she’s messed up on life. One day she hears about some famous guy. Everywhere he goes people huddle to be close to him. Intrigued, drawn and desperate, she goes to check it out. She tucks an expensive ointment in her garments, maybe he can give her something good.
It’s love at first sight. In his eyes is something different. It’s not the lustful, greedy stare of the men who have used her. And it’s not the accusing, condemning eyes of the Pharisees. His eyes are watered with compassion.
The magnet of her soul cannot help but feel drawn.
She runs -doesn’t really know why- but she runs to him. On the way, past interior wounds and memories converge into an emotional hurricane inside of her soul. Droplets come down her face and touch his feet. She wipes and cleans his feet with her hair. She then pours the precious ointment on his feet.
His grace covers her sorrow, pain and sin. A disciple is born at that moment. A pillar of the early church.
The Flicker
We. We have a history with God. There was a crazy moment in our lives where we had, simply put, a God-moment. God came through for us. His light came. At that moment, His light came into the lamp of our souls. It shined so brightly. People could see it, but somewhere along the way, our light got weaker.
Another small flame came when he gave us our calling, but the flame quickly faded with our fears and excuses. I’m too young. I’ve messed up too bad. I’m not talented. I came from too bad of a family. I’m too poor. The list goes on…
We’ve got it all wrong though. We’ve been deceived. God’s ways are not our ways or people’s ways.
Where people only see a shepherd boy, God sees a king. (David)
Where people only see a doll, God sees a princess. (Mary Magdalene)
Where people only see a fisher of fish, God sees a fisher of men. (Peter)
Where people only see a baby, God sees a Savior. (Jesus)
Where people only see a boy with a single mother, God sees a gifted, Grammy award winning musician (Israel Hougton).
Where people only see a former drug addict, God sees a youth pastor that can reach thousands (Matt Pitt).
Where people only see a poor, half-blind man, God sees an available heart he can use to bring an Azusa Street Revival (William J. Seymour).
Where people only see an old man, God sees a mentor, a generational leader, and a world changer.
Where people only see a divorced woman, God sees a masterpiece and a potent Proverbs 36 woman.
Where people only see a young teen, God sees a catalyst that can bring a revival to a school and a youth group.
Where people only see_____ (fill in the blank), God sees ______ (fill in the blank).
Let your light shine in this world. God wants to use you mightily right now.
Let His spirit ignite something in you.
What are you waiting for?
It’s time to see yourself from Heaven’s view, embrace grace, and let the flicker become a flame!