By Al Behel
No one has ever seen God face to face. We have seen the evidence of His presence through countless demonstrations of His creative and sustaining power. Human eyes are limited only by the depth of human faith. Some see Him easily, while others struggle and still do not see. Some astronauts have returned with a sense of awe at His universe, while others have returned, saying, “I didn’t see God out there.”
Well, He’s out there, all right. He is everywhere anything exists. Human eyes cannot look beyond Him, and human understanding cannot comprehend Him. But seeing Him doesn’t depend on our ability to understand Him. It depends, rather, on our willingness to experience Him. It depends on our openness to perceive His presence and rejoice in His handiwork. Our God is a marvelous God Who cares for the smallest sparrow, and for every part of His creation.
I have seen God in the beauty of sunsets, the power of mighty storms, and in the quietness of the morning glory as it opens its petals to receive the warmth of the morning sun. I have seen Him in the eyes of little children, and in grandmothers who hold sweet memories in their hearts. I see Him in the outstretched hands of a suffering Savior, and in the open tomb that could not hold Him. I see Him in the holiness of His church, called out of a world which was under the curse of death into the glorious light of His salvation.
Perhaps the clearest vision I have of God is in the real meaning of love. I see Him when I see a heart open to share compassion with others who hurt, or in the smiles of understanding when two hearts connect in intimate embrace. I see God in the tender moments of forgiveness and restoration for those who have fallen prey to selfish pride.
Seeing God in all of life is very important. But equally important is the fact that we are seen by Him. He sees our actions before they occur. He understands our thoughts before they are formed. He sees our future as clearly as He sees our past. He knows our needs even before we ask.
Like friends whose eyes meet in a crowd, we rush toward our Father’s outstretched arms to receive His warm, accepting embrace, and to experience the reassurance of His divine presence in our lives.
No one has ever seen God face to face. We have seen the evidence of His presence through countless demonstrations of His creative and sustaining power. Human eyes are limited only by the depth of human faith. Some see Him easily, while others struggle and still do not see. Some astronauts have returned with a sense of awe at His universe, while others have returned, saying, “I didn’t see God out there.”
Well, He’s out there, all right. He is everywhere anything exists. Human eyes cannot look beyond Him, and human understanding cannot comprehend Him. But seeing Him doesn’t depend on our ability to understand Him. It depends, rather, on our willingness to experience Him. It depends on our openness to perceive His presence and rejoice in His handiwork. Our God is a marvelous God Who cares for the smallest sparrow, and for every part of His creation.
I have seen God in the beauty of sunsets, the power of mighty storms, and in the quietness of the morning glory as it opens its petals to receive the warmth of the morning sun. I have seen Him in the eyes of little children, and in grandmothers who hold sweet memories in their hearts. I see Him in the outstretched hands of a suffering Savior, and in the open tomb that could not hold Him. I see Him in the holiness of His church, called out of a world which was under the curse of death into the glorious light of His salvation.
Perhaps the clearest vision I have of God is in the real meaning of love. I see Him when I see a heart open to share compassion with others who hurt, or in the smiles of understanding when two hearts connect in intimate embrace. I see God in the tender moments of forgiveness and restoration for those who have fallen prey to selfish pride.
Seeing God in all of life is very important. But equally important is the fact that we are seen by Him. He sees our actions before they occur. He understands our thoughts before they are formed. He sees our future as clearly as He sees our past. He knows our needs even before we ask.
Like friends whose eyes meet in a crowd, we rush toward our Father’s outstretched arms to receive His warm, accepting embrace, and to experience the reassurance of His divine presence in our lives.
- Al Behel preaches for the Great Smoky Mountains Church of
Christ in Pigeon Forge, TN. He may be contacted through the
congregation's website: http://greatsmokymountainschurchofchrist.com/
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