Deciding to look at God

Moses was a meek man. God chose him to lead Israel out of Egypt. He shared the Red Sea. God gave him the Ten Commandments. The people of the tents, occasionally catching a glimpse of Moses as he passed them, probably said: That's him. That's Moses. He is the one. He is God's servant. He is a big and powerful man. "But what if the only time they saw Moses was when he was so upset and hit the rock with his staff. Would they then think What an angry man. How can God ever use him? "David was a man after the heart of God. He sought God's will to make his life according to it. With divine certainty, he killed the giant Goliath. He wrote psalms. God chose him to replace Saul as king through him. When David walked through the kingdom and people caught a glimpse of him, they probably said, there he is. This is King David. He is the servant of God. He is a big and powerful man !. But what if the only time they saw David was when he made a secret rendezvous with Bathsheba? Or when he sent her husband Uriah to the front of the war to be killed? Would they then say What an unjust man! How evil and insensitive he is! "How can God ever use him?

Elijah was a famous prophet. He spoke to God. He passed the word of God on to the people. He called fire from heaven to earth. He humiliated the prophets of Baal. If people caught a glimpse of Elijah, they would say with admiration: This is Elijah. He is a big and powerful man. He is a true servant of God. But what if the only time they saw Elijah was when he fled from Jezebel or when he hid in a cave for fear of his life. Would they then say: What a coward! He is a washcloth. How can God ever use him? "

How could these great servants of God share the Red Sea one day, kill a giant or drop fire from the sky, and be angry, unjust, or frightened the next day? The answer is simple: they were human. This is where the problem lies in trying to make idols out of Christian leaders, friends, relatives, or anyone. You are all human. They have feet made of clay. You will ultimately disappoint us. Perhaps that is why God is telling us not to compare ourselves with one another and not to judge others (2. Corinthians 10,12; Matthew 7,1). We have to look to God first. Then we must look to the good in those who serve and follow him. How can we ever see the whole of a person when we only see a small part of him? Only God sees people in their entirety and at all times of their lives. Here's a parable that makes that clear.

The tree in all its seasons

An old Persian king once wanted to warn his sons against making premature judgments. At his command, the eldest son made a trip in winter to see a mango tree. Spring came and the next son was sent on the same journey. The third son followed in the summer. When the youngest son returned to him from his journey in autumn, the king summoned his sons and described the tree. The first said: It looks like an old burnt stalk. The second spoke again: He looks filigree and has flowers like a beautiful rose. The third said: No, he had a magnificent foliage. The fourth said: You are all wrong, he has fruits like pears. Everything you say is correct, said the king, because each one of you saw the tree at another time! So for us, when we hear someone else's thoughts or see their actions, we have to hold back our judgment until we are sure we have grasped everything. Remember this fable. We have to see the tree in all its times.

by Barbara Dahlgren


pdfDeciding to look at God