Imagine this….
Someone that you care about very much plans to meet up with you. You glow with excitement at the thought of seeing them face to face. They don’t know it but you actually have a surprise for them. As they approach, you’re getting giddy thinking about how much they’re going to like what you have for them. But even more than that, you’re excited about feeling their embrace and seeing their face once again. As they draw closer, your heart starts beating faster and faster anticipating their embrace. You hold the gift in your right hand behind your back. You raise your left hand to reach for their embrace. You stare them directly in their eyes, but notice they’re not looking at you. You can’t decipher exactly what or who they’re looking at. But the closer you get, you see that they’re looking past you. Now you’re close enough to embrace them, but they shift to your right side, missing your embrace all together. You’re confused. Why would they make arrangements to meet up with you but act as though they don’t even see you? As they continue to pass you by, you now notice them gazing at your right hand to see what’s in it. Your countenance falls as you realize that your loved one is more interested in the gift you have in your hand than they are interested in you. They never even made eye contract with you. They never once looked up to see your face. All they focused on was what was in your right hand. Your heart is so broken. As much as you love them, it’s difficult for you to understand why they don’t love you the same. It’s even more difficult for you to understand how they can be right there in your presence and not even recognize you. With tears in your eyes, you leave and take the gift with you. How selfish and inconsiderate is your loved one?!
The reality is…..
Do you realize that we do this to God all the time. We are that selfish loved one! Time and time again, we petition God for His blessings. We say we just want to be in His presence because we love Him so much. We make arrangements to meet Him in places of praise and worship. As we approach Him, all we’re able to see is His right hand hoping that it holds the blessing we’ve been praying for. As we get close and closer to Him, we feel that our blessing is getting closer and closer. It’s almost in our hands. We’re so focused on the gift in God’s hand that we pay no attention to God’s face. We don’t even look up to make eye contact. We ignore His presence trying to get to His presents. Mercy! We break His heart over and over again because we keep making arrangements with Him. But He wants a relationship with us.
He keeps the gift in His right hand, hoping that one day, instead of us seeking His hand we will seek His face. He wants us to realize that we limit our blessings when we pursue the gift but not the Giver of Gifts. God is so much bigger than what He can give to us. He’s so much bigger than what’s in His right hand. God not only has your gift in His hand. But He has the whole world in His hand. The Word teaches us that God is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. Seek Him…..Seek Him…..not His blessings. We have not because we ask not. But perhaps for many of us, we have not because we seek not. Many have prided themselves on the fact that they ask for the blessings in God’s hand. But who pride sthemselves on the fact that they actually seek His face?
*Tressa Jo
BeyondSeeLevel 