The Wilderness

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

II Cor. 3:18

Living in the Northwest we have some of earths most wonderful eye candy. Places like the San Juan islands, the Rocky Mountains and yes, even the Palouse, fill our vision with images of amazing beauty time and again.

The thing about living in a place where constant beauty abounds is that our eyes often grow tired of the wonders and cease to see them. One glorious mountain peak blends into the next, the sparkle of the ocean diminishes, and the trees blend into an indistinguishable color of green just short of gray.

As the saying go's, "familiarity breeds contempt."

And so it is with the heart. Those of us who have been in the Christian for a while often encounter this in our relationship with God. We have read the Bible cover to cover, we've sang the songs and prayed the prayers and after a while we want something new and exciting. It’s like a veil has covered our eyes and we can no longer see the beauty of God.

What's to be done? How do we see the same thing every day and not grow familiar with it? How do we encounter God year after year without pulling the veil down and seeing Him only dully?

French writer Marcel Proust gave me something to think about the other day when I read this quote: " The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."

We don’t really need a new view, new scenery, what we need new eyes to see the beauty that is right in front of us!

New eyes do not come cheaply or easily; they are something we must work for, they require discipline and effort. But, as all things spiritual, effort, discipline and work will not in and of themselves give us new eyes – new eyes must also be asked for.

As we continue our wilderness journey, let’s ask God for new eyes to see Him and his story fresh – and in doing so, to be changed from glory to glory by it.

Questions for discussion:

How have you experienced the “veil” covering your vision spiritually? Can you name a time when God tore the veil and broke in on your sight? How would your faith change if you had “new eyes?”