What do you see?
#312 What do you see? 2 Corinthians 4.18
In the midst of continued experiences with gossip and reproachful words, God again pulls my attention from the problem to His purpose.
“…being reviled we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; being defamed, we intreat; we are made as the filth of the world and are the off-scouring of all things unto this day.” 1 Corinthians 4:12b-13
being reviled [#3058 to reproach, vilify Webster’s on vilify: to attack the good name of by libel or slander]
we bless [#2127 to speak well of; to bless, (thank or invoke benediction upon)
What do we see? We see the needs and wounds of the person and we long for their blessing and pray for it.
being persecuted [#1377 to pursue lit or fig; to persecute]
we bear [#430 Vines: to hold up against a thing and so to bear with]
What do we see? When others pursue us to put down and devalue we see that God is pursuing us to make us strong and we find the strength to stand in Him.
being defamed [#987 blasphemeo: to vilify, speak impiously]
we intreat [#3870 parakaleo: to call near, ie invite, invoke, by imploration, hortation or consolation]
What do we see? Amid intense evil speaking we see the possibility of finding a way to shine the light of God’s truth and hope.
We are made as the filth [#4027 something cleaned off all around, ie refuse] of the world and the off-scouring [#4067 to rub, something brush all around, ie off-scrapings, fig. scum] of all things…
This describes how we are seen by some in the world. Some who do not see us through the eyes of God and Christ see only what is chipped off, swept up and thrown away, and they miss the angel. (Using the illustration of Michelangelo as a sculptor of marble: “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”)
How do we see ourselves? Through the eyes of faith or through the eyes of unbelief? Eyes of faith see the intention of God and the finished picture in the refining process. “The momentary lightness of our tribulation works out for us an excessively surpassing eternal weight of glory” when we see through the eyes of faith at what is unseen. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18! Strong’s Interlinear
Do we see the branches cut off or the beautifully fruitful vine?
Sometimes when we are pruned we stare at the branch on the ground in disbelief and despair, and lament: How could I have had such a diseased and ugly branch? Or I LOVED that branch, how can I ever truly let it go?
Sometimes we look at the pruned vine which APPEARS devastated as if under the hand of wreckless brutality when truly it is by the hand of infinite love. We don’t see the wider scope of His work in us and the fruit born by this pruned vine when it is time for harvest. O Lord open our eyes to see the beautiful trees of righteousness that will minister for the healing of the nations! Revelation 22:2
Do we judge the Architect by His unfinished work? Volume 1 pg 65!
Do we judge ourselves by the Architect’s unfinished work in US?
2 Corinthians 2:14-17 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; To the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? [The answer to this question is in 2 Corinthians 3:4-6: our sufficiency is in God who creates us to minister.]
Don’t judge the triumph of Christ in us by the human reactions of others!
Do not judge the triumph of Christ in us by our own human point of view!
He always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and every step of challenge and refining is part of that triumph.
May we see His reality beyond appearance and human reasoning with the eyes of faith.
What do we see? May it be the unseen!
In the midst of continued experiences with gossip and reproachful words, God again pulls my attention from the problem to His purpose.
“…being reviled we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; being defamed, we intreat; we are made as the filth of the world and are the off-scouring of all things unto this day.” 1 Corinthians 4:12b-13
being reviled [#3058 to reproach, vilify Webster’s on vilify: to attack the good name of by libel or slander]
we bless [#2127 to speak well of; to bless, (thank or invoke benediction upon)
What do we see? We see the needs and wounds of the person and we long for their blessing and pray for it.
being persecuted [#1377 to pursue lit or fig; to persecute]
we bear [#430 Vines: to hold up against a thing and so to bear with]
What do we see? When others pursue us to put down and devalue we see that God is pursuing us to make us strong and we find the strength to stand in Him.
being defamed [#987 blasphemeo: to vilify, speak impiously]
we intreat [#3870 parakaleo: to call near, ie invite, invoke, by imploration, hortation or consolation]
What do we see? Amid intense evil speaking we see the possibility of finding a way to shine the light of God’s truth and hope.
We are made as the filth [#4027 something cleaned off all around, ie refuse] of the world and the off-scouring [#4067 to rub, something brush all around, ie off-scrapings, fig. scum] of all things…
This describes how we are seen by some in the world. Some who do not see us through the eyes of God and Christ see only what is chipped off, swept up and thrown away, and they miss the angel. (Using the illustration of Michelangelo as a sculptor of marble: “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”)
How do we see ourselves? Through the eyes of faith or through the eyes of unbelief? Eyes of faith see the intention of God and the finished picture in the refining process. “The momentary lightness of our tribulation works out for us an excessively surpassing eternal weight of glory” when we see through the eyes of faith at what is unseen. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18! Strong’s Interlinear
Do we see the branches cut off or the beautifully fruitful vine?
Sometimes when we are pruned we stare at the branch on the ground in disbelief and despair, and lament: How could I have had such a diseased and ugly branch? Or I LOVED that branch, how can I ever truly let it go?
Sometimes we look at the pruned vine which APPEARS devastated as if under the hand of wreckless brutality when truly it is by the hand of infinite love. We don’t see the wider scope of His work in us and the fruit born by this pruned vine when it is time for harvest. O Lord open our eyes to see the beautiful trees of righteousness that will minister for the healing of the nations! Revelation 22:2
Do we judge the Architect by His unfinished work? Volume 1 pg 65!
Do we judge ourselves by the Architect’s unfinished work in US?
2 Corinthians 2:14-17 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; To the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? [The answer to this question is in 2 Corinthians 3:4-6: our sufficiency is in God who creates us to minister.]
Don’t judge the triumph of Christ in us by the human reactions of others!
Do not judge the triumph of Christ in us by our own human point of view!
He always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and every step of challenge and refining is part of that triumph.
May we see His reality beyond appearance and human reasoning with the eyes of faith.
What do we see? May it be the unseen!
