I thought that was what I saw. I remember seeing it that way, but I am not sure now. And to be honest, I didn’t get that good of a glimpse. I couldn’t see clearly. And others seemed to have seen it differently. I am not sure what I did see. I have an obfuscated view now.
Have you ever thought, seen, or heard something, and later learned it wasn’t what you thought?
Fun Examples of ‘Not What You Thought’
In Jimmy Hendrix’s song Purple Haze, he sings, “Excuse me while I kiss the sky.” Listeners thought they heard the artist say, “Excuse me while I kiss this guy.”
And ELO’s (Electric Light Orchestra’s) song Don’t Bring Me Down, the group’s biggest hit has the line, “Don’t bring me down, groose.” Most listeners thought it was, “Don’t bring me down, Bruce.” But the band’s primary leader, Jeff Lynne, said he added “groose” because he was short a syllable on one line, but fans heard “Bruce.”
Word of the Day – Obfuscate äb-ˈfə-ˌskāt
Obfuscate (verb) – to throw into shadow; to make obscure; confuse
If your perception (view) of Jesus Christ is unclear (clouded, shadowed, confused), you will see (experience) a world of darkness and fear.
Ted Dekker, The Rise of the Mystics (amplied)
Have you ever believed something about God the Father, Jesus, or Holy Spirit, and then found your belief was totally off-base and unfounded? Or maybe it was just limited based on what you had heard God could or couldn’t do. People put limits on the Creator of the Universe because they are ‘told’ by someone about how God is or isn’t.
This is because you have been living in a box. That box may be your denominational church, parent’s view, circle of friends, your own experience, lack of knowledge and understanding of God’s word, and the list goes on.
What Have You Been Taught?
The world has certainly taught us well to accept worrying, fear, and living in the dark as a normal way of life. It’s okay to be afraid. And if you are not worrying, then you must not care.
I like telling my kids that I could “care less” about some of the things we talk about. But they know when I say that I am trusting God. I am clearly seeing His love, and growing my love for Him. For scripture says,
I Peter 5:7 AMP
Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].
And is there something you are afraid of? This is not from God. This is a part of a dark world that causes fear, anxiety, and worry. When we fear, this is when we have a clouded view of Jesus.
Perfect Love Casts Out Fear
I John 4:18 AMP
There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love].
What Are You Experiencing
Okay, life is not a cakewalk nor is that even promised. But through it all God does promise that He will never leave us, and nothing can ever separate us. Paul says,
Romans 8:38-39 AMP
38 For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
But if you are experiencing anything short of light and love, then your view of Jesus is obfuscated.
If your perception (view) of Jesus Christ is clear, you will experience light and love, not darkness or fear.
So if you feel, see, or experience darkness, action is needed. If you feel and experience fear at any level, then action is needed.
You Are The Light In The Dark
You don’t need to find the light in the darkness, you are the light Just Like Heaven, by Brandon Lake…
Challenge of the Week
This challenge is simple, yet challenging for most. Spend more time with God. God designed you to have an intimate relationship with Him. Your heart desires this but you fight it. He has hidden heaven in your heart. When you spend time with Him, you are simply responding to the tugs of divinity within you. Find that extra time to spend with Him this week, and increase your clarity of Him. So be it!
