What are you seeing?

"If all you're seeing is what you're seeing, then you're not seeing all there is to be seen". 

The first time I heard this was last night during a Lifeway Simulcast  featuring Priscilla Shirer, a powerful woman of God.  Thankfully she repeated this twice becaue at first, it doesn't seem to make sense; however when you really meditate on it, it changes your perspective--or at least it did mine.  This weekend's simulcast was so powerful and truly was one of those moments when you feel like God is speaking directly to you (because He was), and I just want to share some of my thoughts from it. 

The phrase above really sums up the ministry time for me.  We often as people (especially in western cultures) fill our lives up with a lot of things (ie- work, school, hobbies, shopping, starbucks visits, etc.).  This isn't necessarily a bad thing...unless it encroaches on time with God.  The word "Sabbath" means to rest or pause.  The purpose of it is rest, more importantly rest in the Lord.  When the Israelites were in the wilderness after God saved them from slavery in Egypt, God then had the task of taking the "Egypt" mentality out of them.  For hundreds of years the Israelites had worked, worked, worked--to please Pharoah and the gods.  Now they were in the wilderness, complaining (really, they had been freed?).  I know in my life, I get so caught up in busy-ness; when I've got a long period of down time I start complaining, becoming restless and anxious to get back to my "auto-pilot" lifestyle....why?  Because I don't know how to rest! 

So what does this have to do with the initial phrase? 

We often can't rest in God's provision because we are too caught up in the flesh (our own circumstances, our own actions...me, me, me).  "If all you're seeing is what you're seeing"...in other words if you are living daily by sight alone, by circumstances alone, by other's attitudes towards you alone; by what you think of as lacking in your life alone; by feelings alone...
"then you're not seeing all there is to be seen"... If we live by only what we see at face value in our lives, we've missed the whole picture.  We've missed God's hand in our lives...rest and [what Priscilla called living with] "Sabbath margins" is the time in which we should spend time with God. A time to look back and reflect on the "breadcrumbs" behind us of which we see God's work and provision throughout our lives on days 1-6 (Sabbath is the 7th day).  So if you're like me, in a "wilderness" time, this is a great lesson to learn, and season to be in because God will provide and will bless you in great abundance (John 10:10).  It also leads to something greater than we can imagine.  Isaiah 35:6 says, "In the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert".  God is preparing a way for you and I, take time to see and obey.  Selah. 

Now, I realize this is not a "stream", but to me this picture is useful just as a mental reference for the scripture in Isaiah.  The waters break out, streams in the desert, life and abundance where there used to be nothing.  Tafilat Oasis in southern Morocco (2008).