Lenses and Judgments
The Lord does not see
as man sees….
~I Samuel 16:7~
I saw a car terrible accident last year, and it got me thinking about the ability the victims would have to fully understand what had happened to them. Of the 100% of information that would tell the whole story, their testimony could be no more than a sliver of that whole. One vantage point, one lens, one angle……… Even if they had all the facts perfectly in tow, which never happens, there is no way they could draw any substantive conclusions about the whole of what transpired. The best they could hope for would be a piece, even a good piece of the entire pie.
The reason this is important to me is because I’m constantly drawing conclusions about things, making assessments, and sometimes passing judgment based on my perceptions or recollections.
Omniscient God knows 100% of the entirety of every moment. Even if I could pull that off, I would not be able to contextualize the moment, let alone assess motivation or intent. But God can. Why on earth would I pass judgment based on my own perceptions? I do it all the time, even though it makes no good sense.
Interesting that God does not invite me to seek His council in a courtroom or judges chambers, but rather in a grace laden throne room; one that I enter because of the immeasurable grace extended to me. Talk about context! God is the only righteous Judge and He assures us He will judge all, in His time.
In the meantime, He is about things far loftier that my desire to draw conclusions or to see justice prevail in the moment. I give some of my best energy to matters that I’m pretty sure aren’t even ON God’s radar. I think He’d prefer those energies spend themselves in the light of His council.
You are great in counsel
and mighty in work,
for Your eyes are open
to all the ways of the sons of men….
~Jeremiah 32:19~
One Comment
Paulette
“no more than a sliver of that whole” you wrote….honestly sometimes I act and react as though mysliver is ever so much larger than the rest, after all, I have lived 6 entire decades, doesn’t that count for “something”, and you remind me that yes it does, but not really very much at all. When the pride of my experience is superimposed by the necessity of my humility, it gives the enemy a foothold. He is familiar with my pride, he counts on that I will need to sort things out and make sense of them, he has seem me trip on that premise before…He knows it comes from my brokennes, from my baggage, from past abuses and hurts and my enemy wants to capitalize on that….But you remind me that I ALWAYS have another option. It is the option that was extended to me – GRACE…but not just the gift of grace, but also of its gift position – from the throne of the one who has the full scope of understanding. Thank you for your reminder that He who is in me is forever greater and abundantly and fervently a lover of my soul and because of that I can trust hm. I will strive to remember that “what I know” does not define me but by whom I am loved does.