When was the last time you saw God?

Notice that my question wasn't, "When was the last time God appeared to you in a supernatural vision?"

Perhaps I should rephrase it with wording from Psalm 27:4 - "When was the last time you gazed upon the beauty of the Lord?"

I'll be honest: I have the scary ability to look at my life and not see God. What do I see instead?

• Writing deadlines I need to meet.
• Details of my flights I need to remember.
• Appointments I need to show up for.
• Family vacations I need to plan.
• Groceries I need to purchase.
• Meals I need to prepare.
• Bills I need to pay.
• Rooms I need to clean.
• Broken furniture I need to fix.
• Birthday gifts I need to purchase for my kids.
• Date nights I need to romantically plan.

And the list goes on and on...

Now, nothing I just mentioned is inherently evil. None of it has to be avoided or condemned to live a Christ-honoring life. In fact, I would argue that all 11 of those things can be done to the glory of God.

However, in the midst of planning and thinking about and doing all of those things, I have the potential to be "too busy" to see God.

Though this world is filled with his glory, you and I can be blind to it. Though he created a world with sights and sounds that display his magnificence, we can fail to see it.

Not because we're ignorant that he exists. Because we're too busy to take the time to gaze upon him.

So today, you and I need to pray that God will place his healing hands on our blind eyes and give us sight again. We need to pray that he will place his guiding hands on our wayward hearts and give us direction again.

It's only when our eyes see his beauty and our hearts are filled with his glory that we'll quit searching for identity, satisfaction, and life where it can't be found.

Pray this with me right now: "Lord, would you touch us with your grace so that there will never be a day where we haven't gazed upon your beauty?"

God bless

Paul Tripp

Reflection Questions

1. Come up with your own list of 11 things that make you too busy for God. Be specific and identify things that capture your attention over the Lord.
2. When and where can you take time today to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord? Be specific.
3. Who can you help this week to remember to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord.