Learning To Gaze
I know how discouraging and overwhelmed we can feel on the journey of seeking after God.The tendency when we feel weak, or not enough, is to do more. As if we can prove to God that we aren’t as bad as we feel.
But is the answer truly to do more? I believe Jesus taught a different way. He taught that our hearts are changed and our affections are ordered rightly, not necessarily by doing more, but by gazing. Sitting and looking at Jesus.
Gazing takes time. We must slow down to gaze. We must isolate ourselves from distractions and interruptions to be alone with God and really see Him. But if we will take the time necessary, we will find a fellowship unmatched by worldly things.
Psalm 27 is a psalm of David about protection from those who seek to kill Him. He says things like, “The lord is my salvation, whom should I fear?” and “Though war rise against me, yet I will be confident.”
It’s a Psalm about God fighting David’s battles. David comes to God with a request for protection, and God meets him. But what is so interesting about this psalm, is that in the middle of reflecting on how God has met his needs, David says in verse 4:
One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.
Isn’t that a strange thing to say in the middle of a Psalm where you are reflecting on all that God has done? More than anything, more than protection, more than what God can give… David wants to dwell with God? To see Him?
Is the posture of our hearts this? Do we long to be with God? Do we long to just sit with Him in the mornings? Talking to Him? Gazing at who He is?
It’s almost like David is crying out for deliverance, and then He see’s the Lord. And yes, he still desires for his needs to be met, but what’s more important is that He see’s the Lord. Seeing God meet His needs is great, but seeing God in fellowship is beautiful to David. It’s like after he sees God, and how able, strong and totally in charge He is, he just wants to gaze at God now. Look at his beauty.
The mark of a maturing Christian is that you once used to go to God primarily for salvation, help, and needs being met. But now the growing posture of your heart is turning to more of, “I want you Jesus! You’re enough. You’re better than your gifts. You’re what I desire.”
There are many things in my life that are good desires that have not been met by the Lord. And much like David, I ask the Lord to work in those areas. But as I ask for the Lord to meet those good desires of my heart, I find that in the waiting, He is enough. In the waiting, I get more of Him. And my heart has truly grown, through His power and grace, to long for Him, more than the gifts. I still desires the gifts He gives, and He delights to give them.
But I can say with David now, Lord… please answer me. But more than anything, the one thing I ask is that I could dwell with you forever. Because you are better than life. Better than gifts. Better than riches.
You have purposes in my waiting. Most notably, that I see more of who you are. And as I see more of who you are, my affections are more correctly ordered. My values of what is important are changed. I lose a love for this world and grow into a love for the things that will last beyond this life. I become more patient, more caring, more sensitive, more bold, more gracious.
God used to be what I went to for things, but He is now becoming the thing I want. The great danger of western Christianity is that God is a dispensary of gifts for us, and nothing more.
The answer to killing sin and growing closer to God isn’t necessarily do more things, but look more. Gaze more. Sit more. Slow down more. Dwell more with God, and you will be changed.
Do you spend time with Him?
Do you want to grow in your love for God? Gaze at Him. And then gaze again. And gaze more. And keep gazing, and keep begging God to open your eyes to see Him! And when you see Him, and when your first desire in the morning is to sit with Him. When you take walks to pray and gaze. And when you turn the radio down for a few minutes in your commute to say thank you to Him, you will find that day after day, your heart is changing.
Not always in the big moments, but the small, mundane, normal ones. The daily morning bible reading times. The 5 minute prayers during commute. The 15 minutes before bed you turn off Netflix to simply reflect on how good God is.
And when we gaze, we find that our hearts are turning to love Him more than the gifts he gives. When that happens, sin will have lost it’s power over your life.
Why? Because you will have seen that Jesus is better. He is better my friends. His arms are always open. His table is open, come and sit. Come and gaze. Come and find hope. I have found a joy in God I have found no where else, I pray you find that too.
How will you make time to gaze at Him today in His Word?
Blessings,
Josh.
