Quiet Conversations ~ 3

 

When You See Nothing

Vision or the ability to see is a strange thing. Sometimes we can see without really seeing and at other times we can see very clearly. We look at things in different ways depending on our circumstances at the moment. We think what we see is real when sometimes it is not. Sometimes the greatest things, the most real are things we cannot see.

Seeing with the natural eye is very different from seeing with the eyes of the heart or with inner vision.

What do you see when you look at your life, your marriage, your pain, your bad decision, your failure, a circumstance you are facing, yourself, your spouse, your children, your God? What do you see?

Vision or sight is a powerful thing. If you can imagine it, if you can see it, you can have it or do it. How do I know? Because the bible said so.

In Genesis 11:1-9 talks of the story of the tower of Babel. The people were all on one accord or we can say they all have the same vision, saw the same thing and wanted to build a tower and get to heaven and have a name for themselves. Here is short recount of the story.

 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. ⁴ Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

⁵ But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. ⁶ The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. ⁷ Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

God had to put a stop to them coming up there with all their sin.  Because the verse tells us that they would have reached heaven. He said they would if He didn’t confound their language so they couldn’t all talk to each other. I say so they couldn’t spread their vision or imagination around to each other. Do you see how powerful vision is? If you can see it you can achieve it.

But lets talk about what you see when “life” happens. Because we all know life happens and it happens hard to some of us more than others. Let’s see how your vision is when the pressure is turned up.

Holy Spirit told me once in my quiet conversation time with Him that…

“Anything that you imagine or see you will own that image in your soul. It will become a part of you.”

I have had countless women tell me that they are standing for their marriage to be healed or for the husband to change his behavior in some way or for some trial to end and they see NOTHING happening. Hey, I have said it myself literally hundreds if not thousands of time.

You all know what I’m talking about. You face that kind of blank nothing, been praying and fasting from sun up til sun down, spitting out scriptures and reading your bible, and watching TBN, and going to church, and being obedient, you’re helping other people, tithing, being a giver, volunteer your time, etc life style. Yet, here you stand and NOTHING has changed in your circumstance that you can SEE.

Whew! You are hot with discouragement. You are disappointed. You ask how much longer to God. You may ask this out of immaturity, selfishness or just plain weary. But you ask.  Jesus can handle it. You cry and pray til you have no more tears to cry. You put on your church face and go to see all the people and they ask how you are and you say “fine, blessed of the Lord sister, highly favored”. You walk away from that encounter, again, heartbroken and confused and the inner questions start.

God when, how long, don’t you see me, when will it change God, are you going to do something? Sound familiar. Am I in your ballpark yet?

Well, what do you do when it’s like this and you know God is faithful but you just haven’t gotten that breakthrough, yet. Seems like the more you pray, the worse your particular situation gets. You want to quit big time. You go get your divorce papers and secretly want to file because you don’t SEE anything happening.  You hold them in your hands and hope God says “yes file” knowing you shouldn’t. But you keep listening to that voice in our head.

You try and figure out how you can send one more text and get your point across and get that man, your husband to see what your saying and change his ways. That didn’t work.

You call every girlfriend you know and their momma  too, to get advice on what to do and then not listen to that advice because you know you got something better that just popped in your head while on the phone with them.

You know you should walk by faith and not by sight but you just need to “see” a little something, anything to prove your prayer was heard by the Almighty God.

Well are you tired yet? Because that is what all this fighting and questioning in your soul gets you. Tired. Remember you learn the secrets and mysteries of God and answers in stillness and quiet with Him.  How do I know? Because I was this woman and more. I clearly remember asking God this series of banter above and telling Him in my most religious voice with all sincerity “I quit God, I quit. I’m done” while putting on mascara of all things. Hoping He would let me out of my call. Nope. He spoke to me as I stroked my left eyelash …in that whisper…

“If you quit now, you are gonna miss some of My best work. You will miss what I am going to do through you and for you.”

Best work. What work. I just want you to do something. Anything to make it better. Fix me. Fix it all.

Well answers did come but not the way I thought they would.  Another time in our quiet conversations He gave me an answer. He said…

“I am going to set you free in the fire. You must not pull yourself out of this place of pain and fire. The fire is a place of healing and cleansing. I am going to get rid of everything that you don’t need so I can fill you with what is necessary for your call.”

This conversation continued and nowhere did I hear I was going to get out of the fire. Hmm.

“The answers you seek are not in your own mind. They are found in me. But you must rest in My presence to receive them. Come be with Me and be Mine.”

This is your answer too dear reader.  It was simple when Holy Spirit spoke it to me. It was deepest need I had and I didn’t know it but He did and He speaks to the deepest need we have. Sometimes you don’t know what that is. But He does. My flesh wanted to run, kick, scream, and do something to relieve the frustration of pain and not seeing my situation change and so do you. But He knew I needed to simply be with Him.

Simple, not profound. God is not like that. He answers in the simplest way your biggest questions. He is truth and when He speaks to you He speaks truth. So when you can’t see anything in your life different, when you can’t see the call He promised you, when you can’t see the change you desperately are praying for…. see His truth. See only what He promised and said to you. See with the eyes of truth and nothing else. Let nothing steal that vision from you.  This is what you do—You hold on to what is true. You hold on to what ever God told you, when you SEE nothing.  Selah.