Just in case you were in a coma last week and somehow missed it … our country experienced a total eclipse. Texas was fortunate enough to be in the “path of totality.” It was mesmerizing, eery … and inspiring to see people come together, all gazing up in wonder at God’s Creation.
What’s crazy is that the sun is 400 times larger than the moon! But that little moon lined up just right to block the sun. And honestly, even in “totality” the sun was not darkened. There was still a ring of light around it. Reminding us …
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ~ John 1:5
When darkness falls, and it sure did … the sun had not changed one bit. It was still shining bright, majestically, as big as ever. The moon simply, and temporarily, obscured it.
Which started me thinking about the small things we allow to obscure our view of God’s Son. So many things can block our view of Jesus. He is greater than the little things that appear, temporarily, larger to us.
Perhaps it’s how social media paints Jesus; He cannot be contained in a post or meme … or how He’s (supposedly) tied to a particular political party; He is not.
Perhaps, it’s what we see in people who call themselves “Christian.” Often Christianity seems like an exclusive club, and not always a kind one. I’m sorry, that is not Jesus at all. Mahatma Gandhi is quoted as saying, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Look to Christ … don’t allow anyone to be a substitute for a real relationship with Him.
Fear, pride, worldly distractions fill our eyes, and obscure our view. But the truth is, He is bigger, and so much better.
Often, what blocks our view is dark circumstances. We live in a broken world, with broken people. Sometimes, we struggle to see the light because darkness falls eerily around us … just like it did on April 8th. There’s a promise in Isaiah 45:3 ESV to fall on …
I will give you the treasures of darkness
and the hoards in secret places,
that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
Treasures of darkness … that we may know … God. That’s who our God is. Darkness is a tool in His hand and inevitably a gift to us.
Just like the eclipse, darkness does not change Who He is, it only temporarily blocks our view of Him, and never totally.
There is one place we can always, always, always see Jesus clearly. There was darkness there as well. Three hours of darkness fell across the land. In fact, darkness thought it had won by killing God’s Perfect Son. But Calvary is the place where darkness was conquered once and for all. The Son was not eclipsed, He rose again. Light won.
Death was overcome, Satan defeated, sin’s debt was canceled for all who would believe.
The Cross reveals God’s incomparable love for us, His beautiful plan to send His Son to die in our place, take the penalty for our sins so that we could be forever in relationship with God … forgiven, free from shame and guilt.
We were irreconcilably guilty, and He took our punishment Himself.
When our view is blocked, He is not diminished one iota. But allowing our eyes to be full of other things certainly diminishes our own lives. When we recognize Who He is … His power, His love, grace, kindness … ALL of Who He is, it changes us.
The Bible promises when we look for Him, we will find Him. We can ask Him what blocks our view, and for help to see clearly. He is the Light of the world; He came to bring light into the darkness.
Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. ~ Isaiah 9:2 NLT
No special eclipse glasses needed … just a heart that desires to see. We’ll be mesmerized by just how beautiful He is … and begin to look a little more like Him.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.
~ 2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV
