GPBC Blog

By Lee Sellick--

Do you see clearly?
 
Wearing glasses is relatively new for me. What I notice most are the smudges and scratches, not the subject of my interest in the distance! I am distracted. My focus is shortened to the bridge of my nose. Talk about short sighted!  

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Heb 11:1).  Two key words, assurance (promise) and conviction (unwavering belief), describe faith. Faith changed the lives of the saints mentioned in the Hall of Faith because they could clearly see their goal in the distance. They persevered in and through all their doubts, questions, fears, disappointments, hardships and persecutions through faith. They had faith in the future promises of their God, having seen His faithfulness through past generations! They were looking forward to a better place! Has faith changed you in the same way?  

Wearing glasses is like becoming a Christian. We believed and had faith; we thought we were getting rose-colored glasses that would make all things beautifully clear! What we found… smudges and scratches! Oh, glasses help us see, but not quite the way we expected. The difference between smudges and scratches? Smudges are the things we can change - the shows we watch, the music we listen to, how we spend our time, and what we choose to think about. Scratches we cannot change - disease and illness, the things others do or say to us, and circumstances that affect us, like COVID.  
 
Hebrews 12:1-2 encourages us to enter the Hall of Faith, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.”

The smudges are weights we carry and sins we pursue. These distract from what is important. What truly builds our faith is developing our personal relationship with God. The saints of old had regular set times and practices to remind them of their God and His faithfulness.  

It is difficult to keep the smudges off. How do we do this? Just like the saints of old, through planned, consistent effort. Reading the Word of God and talking with our Heavenly Father daily keeps the smudges cleaned off. We must also protect against scratches. Weekly study of the Bible and submission to His Holy Spirit minimizes the scarring or scratches in our lives and enables us to see beyond our nose! Until I clean my glasses and focus through the scratches, I cannot see the goal in the distance.

In faith, will you clean and protect your glasses with me? As we do, we will see clearly what is beyond. Ah, finally I see what I was supposed to be focused on: Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, in all His glory!

Do you clearly see?